Beginnings of a Challenge
by Titanic X
Summary: Mitsuro has returned home for the summer. This is the story of her summer break and of how a new challenge comes to the fore. Dealing with Navy training, a tournament, and her brother's mysterious disappearance, can she step up to the challenge?
1. Return Home

_Here's my first ficcie revolving around my OC for Yu-Gi-Oh GX, Mitsuro Itachu. This takes place after her junior year at Duel Academy. It also gives some background on her past and her life when not at school. On a side note, her cards are all made up. So, hope you enjoy this fic! Yu-Gi-Oh and all relates characters belong to Konami and their owners. I only own my OC, her cards, and any OCs involved. Enjoy!_

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**Chapter 1: Return Home**

The setting sun set beyond the horizon, throwing deep red rays out across the water, setting it ablaze with crimson light. The fiery orb was just about halfway below the horizon, and the sky was colored many different colors with some stars above the sunset.

Mitsuro Itachu took in a deep breath and sighed, letting it out. The salty air always tasted good after a hard year at school. Especially when that school happened to be one of the best dueling academies on the planet.

Mitsuro stood at an impressive height of five feet eleven inches, a rare trait considering her Japanese American heritage. Her hair was cut rather short for her age and she kept her bangs out of her face with a green rag, a style she took after watching several of her father's friends who were Marines. Her eyes were a deep green, almost forest green, and they sparkled with intelligence. Her body was athletically built, a result of karate training and a few workouts with a few of her friends on the base. She also knew a few good military fighting moves, courtesy of a family friend who served with the Marines. She was dressed in a green tank top that exposed her well-toned arms to the sunlight. A pair of Bermuda shorts covered her lower body, revealing her shapely lower legs and on her feet was a pair of combat boots.

She was a very intelligent individual who had been accepted to Duel Academy, the best dueling institution on the planet. The school had recently been transformed into a four year university, thus enabling students to get general education as well as further their skills in the popular game of Duel Monsters. Recently, however, some strange events had been taking place, and she knew that something was up there.

She recalled the day that she had dueled against someone named Albedo. It had happened less than three months ago, and she still didn't understand what had happened during that duel. She knew that Albedo had used some kind of card that created a transmutation circle, but it seemed impossible. How could a simple game card do that? It seemed to her that something was off, but she didn't know what. And on top of that, there had been _five_ copies of their leading student, Matthew Luther. What had caused that, and why?

She knew that Matt had a foster father who was an abusive man, and she felt sorry for Matt in that regard. But she wanted to know who was behind all the strange happenings on campus…and who the Ghost Duelist was. It seemed that some of these events revolved around that man. Plus, there was Kasumi Okuyama's odd behavior. She had been a duelist who loved Matt and dueling, but then she had undergone a massive behavior change. She was more aggressive and more powerful. The last time she had dueled Kasumi, she had barely won. It was only thanks to the effect of her most powerful card that she had been able to win that duel.

So, what was going—?

"Hey, Mitsuro!" a voice called, cutting into her thoughts.

The girl winced, but turned to face the speaker nonetheless.

"Sorry, Zack," she said. "I was just busy thinking. That's all."

Zack Thompson grinned. "Forget it. That's normal. So, how was the school year?"

Mitsuro grinned back. "Oh, it was interesting, as usual."

The two burst out laughing. It felt good to release the tension. She felt herself become more carefree once that laughter ended. Her best friend Zack always knew how to cheer her up.

At five foot one, Zack was a good ten inches shorter than her, but he was broader in the shoulders than she was, and his build was quite muscular. The two joked about it quite often, and around the San Diego Naval Base where they lived, he had a nickname that reflected his personality and his ability to outdrink any four men at once.

"Anything unusual happen?" Zack asked.

"Just the usual. Alchemic circles, clones of Matt, and the disappearance of one of the staff," she said sarcastically.

"That Matt Luther kid?" Zack's eyebrows shot up. "You're kidding!"

Mitsuro shook her head. "No. I'm not. I was there during one such duel."

Zack frowned. "Something's going on there, isn't that right?"

She nodded. "Yeah. But what is it?" She looked down at the metal deck beneath her feet. "That's what's bothering me."

"I bet. So, what's bothering you, specifically regarding this whole issue?" the young man asked. "Besides the Shadow Realm thing."

"Just the whole issue in general," the girl said. She returned her gaze to him. "Something's not right here, especially regarding the duelist that calls himself the Ghost Duelist."

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry, but I can't help you there," Zack said. "But I can tell you what I think."

"What's that?" Mitsuro asked him.

"If those rumors of the Shadow Realm are even true, which I doubt highly, then maybe something's about to happen that will be changing the world for the worse or better. It's kind of hard to explain, but I think you get the idea," he said.

Mitsuro nodded, getting the picture.

She turned her gaze back to the sea rushing past the speeding vessel. "Still, it's good to be coming home," she murmured.

"I bet you didn't expect me to ask the captain to bring you back," Zack teased.

She smiled and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "No. I didn't," she said. "This was a nice surprise."

"I thought that maybe a little familiarity might be calming," he told her.

"Yeah. It sure is," Mitsuro said, glancing around the flight deck. The two of them were currently en route from the academy back to the United States on the aircraft carrier USS _George Washington_, which had come to pick them up coming back from a routine visit to Japan.

Zack worked as a crewman on board the massive carrier, and his specialty was with the radar, so he was often found on the bridge.

It was just as well, because he interacted with the captain to the point where the two men had formed a bond of friendship that rivaled a brotherly bond. As a result, the captain usually sometimes owed Zack favors.

"So, what favor did he owe you this time?" Mitsuro asked slyly.

"I helped him out of a pickle when some drunk fools nearly did him in," Zack said. "They learned to never mess with a navy man after that!"

They burst out laughing again at the mental image of Zack teaching those two a lesson in their own language.

Mitsuro wiped her eyes and stood up, turning back to the sunset. The carrier glided through the water like a ghost, and behind them was the wake, a magnificent thing that shimmered in the reflected sunset. "Seriously though. It's good to get away from the hustle of the school year for a while."

"Yeah," Zack murmured. "You know, sometimes I wonder if Jason's still alive on nights like this."

"I know," she said softly. "I miss him, too. He was always there for me when I needed it." Then she turned to face Zack. "I'm thinking of trying to figure out what happened to him this summer. And maybe I just might tackle that tournament and sign up for the Navy."

"Hey, they already got your application. They're looking it over now at the recruitment center. I must say, getting that school duel victory really got their attention," Zack said with a grin.

"That's good to hear," Mitsuro said. "But…will it even help me?"

"It will," Zack assured her. "If not, I can always see if you can get an assignment here on the _Washington_."

"Thanks, Zack," she said. "I appreciate the offer."

"Anyway, I think I see San Diego up ahead," the young man said, looking out towards the bow.

Mitsuro turned and her eyes sparkled with happiness when she saw the base she called home. A second carrier was moored to one of the docks, and a few other assorted vessels were tied up for resupply, maintenance, or crew transfers. She always felt relieved when she arrived back home.

"It's sure good to be back home again," she murmured.

"Yeah. Home sweet home," Zack agreed.

"So, anything new happening back here in the States?" Mitsuro asked.

Zack nodded. "As a matter of fact, there is. You recall that construction site in Santa Barbara that's been worked on for the last few years?"

When she nodded, he continued. "Well, it turns out that someone built a new dueling school there. Apparently it's called the Themelic Pantheon or something like that. It's been the talk of the base for the last three months. The place is set to open during the next school year," he said.

"That school sure sounds interesting," Mitsuro replied.

"Yeah. But something seems off about it. I think something's wrong there, but I can't be sure," Zack said softly. "It's just so hard to figure it out."

She nodded in agreement. "Sometimes things can be like that." She turned to look at him. "But you can't always expect for an answer to appear."

"Like with the Shadow Realm stuff," Zack remarked.

"Exactly," Mitsuro said with a nod.

The carrier's captain approached the two a few minutes later, a smile on his face. "Well, you two, we're about to dock. So I suggest you get your gear, Mitsuro."

"Thanks. I will, Joe," Mitsuro said. "It'll be good to see my parents again."

Joe Hanson laughed. "Yeah. It's always good to spend time with family," he said. He glanced back at the shore, his face suddenly becoming serious. "I still can't get the sight of that new damn school out of my mind."

"If you're talking about the Themelic Pantheon, then forget it, Joe. They're not gonna close it down and bulldoze it to the ground this time," Zack replied. "As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with you that something needs to be done about that place."

"Such as someone going to the school for a while?" Joe remarked, rolling his eyes.

Zack nodded. "Yeah. But they won't let anyone on the grounds for a good reason, or so they claim."

"That school's a new place, so of course they don't want anyone on the campus," Mitsuro replied to their remarks.

"I bet," Zack grumbled. Mitsuro cocked an eyebrow. What was up with Zack? Normally he didn't act like this regarding a new institution of dueling.

"Anyway, we'd better get ready. The ship's about to dock," Joe said. He turned and walked back into the carrier, Mitsuro tailing behind him. Zack watched them go with a worried look on his face. Personally, he _hoped_ that Mitsuro would get into the US Navy, because then and only then would the mystery of Jason's disappearance be solved.

However, she needed the means to do so, and he would do anything to help her get that means.

* * *

Joe led Mitsuro through the carrier's corridors, every now and then saying hello to crew members or giving them a few orders. Mitsuro said hi to a few of them as well and they responded back with a hello as well. Sometimes they merely grunted their hellos if they were carrying or pushing something heavy.

The two stopped in front of Mitsuro's room, allowing her time to grab her supplies and packs.

As was befitting a military family, she carried very little, preferring simplicity to over indulgence of luxury items. The only things she really had were her deck, her laptop, and her suitcase full of basic undergarments and hygiene care. She gathered up her laptop and slipped her suitcase onto her back; it also doubled as a backpack.

"You got everything?" Joe asked as she stepped out.

She nodded. "Yeah. I have everything."

He grinned. "Good. C'mon. The ship's about to dock."

They made their way back to the carrier's deck in fifteen minutes. During that time, the carrier had been maneuvered by high-powered tugboats to her berth at the naval base. The ramp was lowered and the two set foot back in the United States.

A few personnel on the base scurried past them, not even bothering to pay any attention to them. Mitsuro noticed this and cast her gaze around the base. Everyone was busy, she noticed.

"What's going on? The base isn't usually this busy," she said.

"It's because of that new school opening up. A few big shots are coming, so we need to be ready," Joe explained. "The CEO of Kaiba Corp. himself, Seto Kaiba, is coming, along with Pegasus. They're coming via the Kaiba Corp. yacht, and there's been a request for a military escort, although I'm not sure why."

"So is that why everyone's so busy?" Mitsuro asked. "Because of Kaiba and Pegasus's arrival?"

"Yep. That's pretty much it," Joe replied. "But I think it sounds silly to have the US Navy do an escort. Surely he could hire a team of security specialists, not ask _us_ for security."

"That is pretty unusual," Mitsuro murmured.

"Yeah. The United States Navy is a part of the _military_, not some mere security company," Joe grumbled.

"I agree," Mitsuro said. She looked around, trying to find her father's truck. "Where's my dad?"

"He'll be here in another hour," Joe said. "Why don't I show you something in the meantime?"

"What?" Mitsuro asked as he led her down to the shipyard adjacent to the naval base. The young woman was curious. Normally no one brought her down there unless it was something important they wanted to show others, such as her father or one of his superiors.

A few people they passed said hi, but very hurriedly. Mitsuro didn't like the idea that Kaiba Corp was using the US Navy as an escort, and neither did the other personnel at the base. She didn't blame them. But she had to focus. She forced it from her mind as he two made their way down to the shipyard, which took less than fifteen minutes. By the time they arrived, the sun was almost fully set on the horizon, but there was still enough light to reflect on the hulls of some of the ships under construction.

Joe led her to the closest dock, where a new ship's hull was being built. Her eyes widened as the light set on the streamlined hull, noticing that it was much sleeker than normal for what she guessed to be a new destroyer. She looked at Joe, confused. "Joe, what's going on? Why bring me down here to show me a new ship?"

"You don't know?" he asked, confused.

Mitsuro shook her head. "No. What don't I know?" Then she grew serious. "Are you hiding something from me?"

Joe's face registered shock at the sudden accusation. He shook his head. "No! I'm not hiding anything!"

"Take it easy, Joe," a familiar voice said from the shadows.

Joe relaxed as the speaker stepped out. "But, sir…"

"I'll handle her. She's my daughter, after all," John Itachu said with a smirk.

John Itachu was a man who had served on the seas for twenty-four years, making him one of the most experienced seamen on the base. He stood at an impressive five-foot eleven like his daughter, but he was broader in the shoulders and he had a build that indicated a man who worked out a lot at the base's gym frequently. His hair was a dark brown and he had green eyes like his daughter. A scar crisscrossed his nose, a reminder of a nasty bar fight he had gotten involved in when visiting Shanghai once.

"Very well, sir. I have to get back to the ship anyway," Joe said.

"Excellent. And good luck."

Joe smiled and threw his superior a salute before turning and running off back towards the carrier.

Now Mitsuro was _really_ confused. What was going on?

"Dad, what's going on here? Why did Joe bring me down here? And why are you here?" she asked.

John merely smiled at his daughter. "Well, first off, it's in regards to your application to join the Navy."

"So? What about it? Wasn't I accepted?" Mitsuro asked.

"You were." Those words caught her off guard. Her eyes widened in shock as the realization came home.

"W…What? Are you serious?" she whispered, stunned at the revelation. Normally acceptance into the armed forces didn't happen so suddenly. But apparently something had happened to cause it to go through smoothly. "Dad, are you sure that this isn't a joke?" she cried.

Her father nodded. "Yes. You were indeed accepted into the Navy."

"But…I'm still in school!" she protested.

"I know that. But what really got the ball moving on your acceptance into the Navy was the fact that your brother was one of their best officers," John explained. "He was one of their best in terms of commanding a destroyer. In fact, it was because of that fact, not to mention the sudden call for the United States Navy to act as an escort for the CEO of Kaiba Corp, that you were accepted, along with your application. It was very impressive."

"I…" She was stunned. She was actually accepted into the Navy right on the spot, a real feat for someone her age. But…

"But why am I down here at the shipyard? Why show me this new ship?" the young woman asked.

"Because this ship under construction is destined to be yours to command," her father said.

Mitsuro's mouth fell open. She had been given a ship to command so suddenly? "But why?" she asked. "I need to go through training and work my way up through the ranks, don't I?"

Her father nodded. "Yes, that would normally be the case. But due to what's been going on at Duel Academy, and the sinister feeling we've been getting at that new school, the higher ups decided to skip the rest of the training and give you your own ship to command. It's important because something big may be coming. Okay?"

"Hold on! How do you know of what's been happening at Duel Academy?" Mitsuro asked harshly.

John looked at her sternly. "Remember, the United States has spy satellites up in orbit. We spotted what happened down there."

Mitsuro felt her face flush at the mention of the satellites. She had completely forgotten about them! "Sorry, Dad," she murmured.

John burst out laughing. "Hey. I make that same mistake sometimes. So don't think you're the only one!"

Mitsuro grinned. "Yeah. I guess so." Then she returned her gaze to the ship before them. "I just didn't expect this to happen to suddenly," she murmured. "Being given command of my own ship… It's just so unbelievable."

"I know. But it's for the best. The US Navy needs some extra help, and sometimes it's necessary to get more ships and crew into play." John glanced at her. "Besides, you're related to a great destroyer captain. So, why not?"

Mitsuro smiled. "Yeah. That may be one factor in play."

"And I have something else for you. I had it custom-made especially for you," John said. He reached into the sack he carried on his shoulder and pulled out a long package of some kind. He smiled as he held it out to her.

Mitsuro stared in shock as she took it. It felt light, but something was inside. She could tell. But what was it? She slowly lifted up the lid and she gasped. She whipped off the top and pulled out the object inside.

"Well?" John smiled. "What do you think?"

It was a brand new Duel Disk. Like he had said, it was custom-made for her. Unlike the Academy Duel Disk she had used, this one was much different in design and shape. It was shaped like a destroyer, and it was colored like one, too. The hull was made up of the standard slots for the monster cards and the spell and trap card zone was located underneath it. The bridge was where her deck went, and a small port was for the Graveyard. Plus, on the very front was her brother's destroyer number.

She ran a hand across the design, her fingers taking in the details. She turned it over, inspecting the slot for her arm. It was built to custom specifications, meaning that instead of the usual sleeve, it had what looked like a gauntlet built on the bottom. She slipped it on her arm, and tested its weight. It was light and it felt just right.

She couldn't believe it. She had been accepted into the Navy, given her own ship to command, and a new custom Duel Disk. It was just so overwhelming. Mitsuro lifted her gaze to meet her father's own eyes.

"Dad… It's wonderful," she whispered, tears shimmering in her own green eyes.

"I'm glad you like it," he murmured.

"But…why? Why do this for me?" she asked, looking at the Duel Disk.

"Because you deserve it," John said with a warm smile. "You are a strong young woman, and you've been growing stronger in terms of dueling. Plus, you helped figure out the mystery of those strange circles."

"Thanks," Mitsuro said.

"Now let's get home. You've got a busy day tomorrow, with your training."

"But what about my ship?" she asked. "Does it have a name?"

"We'll get to that soon, honey. The ship is still in the building stages, but by next month it should be ready for commissioning," John said.

"By next month? But ships normally take a while to commission. They have to go through trails and sea trials!" Mitsuro exclaimed.

"Yeah, but this time, the top brass made an exception. They need another ship of the latest design, and that ship is the one," her father said. Just as she opened her mouth to protest, he waved his hand cutting her off. "And I know that it would normally take years to build a ship of this type, but like I said. The top staff made an exception. Something sinister is going on, so we need to be ready on all fronts."

"Does that include the rest of the US military?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes. All forces. Ground, air, naval, and marines."

"Oh…" Her voice trailed off as he guided her to the family's truck. It wasn't that long of a journey back home.

On the way, her father looked at his daughter. "Mitsuro, the reason that this is happening is because of that incident last year when the school went into some unknown place. It was very sinister, and even here in our own world we felt the energy. It's almost like Duel Academy is a portal to that very realm. That means that something's about to happen and we want to be prepared in case something nasty comes through. We need all the help we can get in this."

"What about the rest of the world?" Mitsuro asked.

Her father became serious as he spoke. "The President has asked other nations to ready their armed forces should anything come through. The United Nations is prepared to lead the world's armies in defense of our planet. But hopefully, it won't come to that. Still, it never hurts to be prepared. And being prepared is one thing I've learned since I've been in the Navy for over twenty years now."

Mitsuro glanced back out the window of the truck, watching the cars go by. She reflected back on Kasumi's unusual behavior. "I don't understand though. Who or what is the Ghost Duelist?" she murmured. "And what does he do to others?"

She remembered the duel with Kasumi, reflecting on the emotions she had seen on the other girl's face. She had been very aggressive in terms of dueling, and she seemed to be more powerful in terms of dueling strategy. Mitsuro herself was a powerful duelist, but even she had trouble against the new Kasumi. Something seemed off about this whole thing. But what was it?

And did this have anything to do with the Ghost Duelist? If so, what was the connection?

She wanted to find out, but the girl had left a few days before the carrier had stopped by to pick her up.

Her father noticed her vague look on her face, but he knew better than to disturb her when she was like that. She often let herself get lost in her thoughts when this happened, and he had learned to let her think and to not snap her out of it. She could do that on her own.


	2. Training Begins

Here's the next chapter. Another OC of mine makes his appearance too. And we get right into the good stuff. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 2: Training Begins**

The sun beat down mercilessly on the city of San Diego, heating up the tarmac and the roads. The grass baked in the intense summer heat, but that was of no concern to the personnel and the civilians living on the base near the water. Naval Base San Diego was a bustle of activity, and over by the training field, a small squad of military personnel for the Navy, Air Force, and Marines stationed on the base had gathered around to watch a training session in progress.

A red-haired man staggered back, clutching at his jaw, his eyes locked onto his opponent. He smirked as he removed his hand. "Nice shot," he murmured. "But not good enough!" He ran at his opponent, forcing her to dodge to the side.

Mitsuro landed on her feet, her black hair falling in her face partly. Her body was streaked with sweat, but she wasn't even really panting, a testament to how often she worked out. Her eyes locked onto the man's incoming form and she ducked his next punch, throwing one of her own in an uppercut. The blow knocked him flat on his back and he skidded a few feet from the force of the punch.

But he wasn't done yet.

"C'mon, Hank! Show her who's boss!" a Marine cried.

Hank grunted as he staggered to his feet, rubbing his sore chin. "Okay. That was much better." He smiled at her. "You're pretty good, Mitsuro," he said.

"Thanks," Mitsuro said. But she stayed tense, keeping her body poised for the next attack.

Hank ran at her with his fist drawn back. Mitsuro made to duck, but he suddenly lashed out with a kick, startling her and forcing her to spin to the side to avoid getting nailed in the hip. As she spun, she quickly changed tactics, throwing a roundhouse and hitting him on the side. Hank went sprawling from the force of the kick.

"Oomph!"

He sat up, rubbing his side. "Okay. That does it for today, Mitsuro," he said. "You did good."

"Thanks," Mitsuro said. She stood up and stretched, the rigors of the training session finally catching up to her. Her muscles ached, but it felt good to get a little stress out as well. "Man! That felt good!"

"I'm sure it did," Hank remarked. "But it's important to keep your skills up."

"I know," Mitsuro replied. "See ya tomorrow!"

Hank smiled and waved as she left the training field.

She approached the nearest truck with one of the base personnel at the wheel. The man grinned as she slipped into the Jeep. "So, how'd training go?" he asked.

"Shut it, Jake," she remarked with a good-natured grin.

"I take it that it went well then?" Jake asked as he started the car's engine.

"Yeah. But it was a long time. It went from 5:30 until 4:30 in the afternoon!" Mitsuro complained. She did a dramatic fainting motion with her arm.

Jake burst out laughing. "Hey, it's not that bad!" he joked. "I'm in the Navy myself."

Mitsuro joined in a few seconds later. It was a good way to release some of the other stress factors, and she relished it. The Jeep worked its way through the base until they reached the residential section. By that time, the two had slipped into a discussion about the recent ship deployment regarding the most recent reports of some unusual activity concerning the new school.

It was five fifteen when Mitsuro said good night and headed up to the steps of her family's house. As soon as she entered, her father looked up from some paperwork. He smiled as she entered the room. "How'd training go?" he asked.

"It went well," she said. "But it was a bit tough."

"Yeah. It can be like that," John remarked as he stood up. "Anyway, you ready for something big tomorrow?"

"If this has to do with my rapid and sudden promotion to ship captain, then I'm ready," Mitsuro remarked confidently.

He laughed. "You bet it does. The ship has a crew, but I want you to meet them. This way you can get to know the crew and find out if they're right for you."

"Already?" Mitsuro blurted.

He nodded. "Yes. So, you up for it?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Good, because once you get to know them, you'll undergo ship handling drills with them using an old destroyer we've kept on reserve for this. The layout is sort of similar to the new ship, but the weapons will be different. So once you get the layout down, you'll test weapons next," her father explained.

"All right. I'll be ready!" Mitsuro said.

Her father smiled warmly at her. He noted that she was very much like her brother in her determination, but much different in terms of willpower. Unlike her, her brother had not had very strong willpower, and he relied on his crew to help him reach the decisions he had made. She was different, very strong-willed and willing to do what was necessary to get the job done.

He hoped the crew would be a good match for her.

After dinner that night, Mitsuro flopped down on her bed in her room, her laptop opened and powered up. She moved the cursor over to the Internet icon and double clicked on it. She shifted her position and scanned through a book she had sprawled on her bed beside her. This book was dealing with the Second World War and its impact on the world society as a whole, a topic she liked to study in great depth.

She scanned through the pages before her computer beeped, signaling that the Internet was up and running. "All right. Time to see if I got any emails," she murmured.

It didn't take her long to bring up her email account.

A few emails were junk, but there was one from her best friend from Duel Academy, Kenneth Stewart. She smiled as she opened up the email.

_Hey, Mitsuro! What's goin' on?_

_Things are going fine here in Texas. The family's glad to have me back for the summer. Say, did you hear about that new academy opening at the end of the summer? There's some kind of hype about it and people are getting all nervous down here. Even my parents say that it's a bit creepy._

_By the way, Naoto says hi! He's abroad at another dueling institution, trying to become the best duelist he can be._

_Send me a reply if you can._

_Kenny._

She smiled fondly as she remembered Kenny. He was such a big Western fan, as she recalled. Even his deck reflected his liking of the Westerns. She quickly emailed off a reply, letting him know of the recent events that had occurred. He wondered how he would react to her becoming commander of a destroyer so quickly.

In truth, she was still shocked by it herself.

She closed her eyes, her mind drifting back to the day that she learned her brother went missing, along with most of his crew and his entire destroyer.

_YGXYGXYXG-Flashback-YGXYGXYGX_

_Twelve year old Mitsuro came skidding into the room upon hearing her father's voice. Her mother, a pretty forty year old woman with long black hair and green eyes, had her hands to her mouth and her eyes shimmered with tears. Her father's face was like stone, and his eyes blazed with rage at the reporter._

"_Mom, Dad…What's going on?" Mitsuro asked._

_Serene Itachu turned to face her daughter. "Look," she whispered._

_Mitsuro cocked an eyebrow in confusion, but did as she was told._

"The Navy is still searching for any clues regarding the mysterious naval battle that took place off the coast of Southern Africa. The unknown attacker, a strange ship that sailed these waters for two years, launched an attack on the United States Navy destroyer _DDG43_, rendering her helpless before attacking the ship with a full on broadside, something no ship has done since the creation of the aircraft carrier in World War II,_" the reporter said._

"The South African government has looked into this issue as well, sending out a naval escort to try and find the damaged destroyer. But nothing was found. Not even a trace of debris was found. Less than three hours later, the ships found a lifeboat with three badly wounded men drifting not too far from the site of the attack. They are currently being debriefed before they are transported back to the United States for emergency treatment and care._"_

_Her eyes widened as she heard the number of her brother's destroyer. The shock was there, and so was the awe and horror. But disbelief was also present._

_She hadn't expected her brother to suddenly go missing. It just didn't seem right. He always had been there for her… and now he was gone? Just like that? How had it happened?_

_She looked at her parents in shock. "What happened to him?" she asked._

"_I don't know," John murmured, placing his head in his hands. "But he's gone, Mitsuro. I'm sorry…"_

_YGXYGXYGX-End Flashback-YGXYGXYGX_

Her brother's destroyer had been found a couple years later on the ocean bottom, the skeletal remains of the crew still trapped inside. Her brother had not been one of them. He had gone missing.

"Jason… where are you?" she whispered.

She remembered several times he had taken her on a tour of his ship when he stopped by on shore leave.

'_What happened to you?_' she thought.

She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. She wanted to find him so bad…

But the only question was, how could she? She didn't even know what happened to the ship that had attacked them out of the blue. And her brother's crew was for the most part killed and/or dead and/or discharged from the service.

That left her alone to try and figure this one out.

She sighed. "Might as well see if Mom sent me anything," she murmured.

She called up the email account again, and sure enough, there was an email from her mother.

_Hey, sweetie. How are things going back in the States?_

_Things are going fine overseas here in Britain. The carriers stopped over for a goodwill visit, and I should be home in a few days. If not, I'll see you after the school year starts. Have a good summer!_

_Mom_

The young woman smiled as she sent off a reply. The message was sent a few minutes later and soon she lay on her bed, surfing the Internet for anything regarding that strange ship that had attacked her brother's destroyer.

She searched for thirty minutes, but nothing came up. Frustration was etched on her face as she shut down her computer and closed it. She turned over on her bed and lay on her back, gazing up at the ceiling of her room.

Mitsuro sighed and stared up at the white paint for what seemed to be an hour. She didn't even register her father's footsteps until she heard his voice.

"Mitsuro?"

She sat upright on her bed. "Dad!" she yelped. "What are you doing here?"

John chuckled at her reaction. "I just came to see how you were doing."

"I'm doing fine," she said. John stepped into the room, carrying a package in his arms, a smile on his face.

"That's good to hear," he said. He held out the package. "I thought I'd give you this while it was still in my mind."

"What is it?" Mitsuro asked. She took it and opened it, only to drop the top in surprise at the contents.

Her father smiled as his daughter reached in and pulled out her brother's old navy uniform. The color was a dark blue, and on the left side were the medals he had earned over the years. She lifted it up, staring in amazement. There had been a few things done to it, such as the pants having a zipper instead of buttons to hold them up. Her brother's captain's hat was also in there, along with his service pistol.

Mitsuro glanced up at her dad, stunned. "Dad… This is my brother's uniform. Why are you giving it to me?"

He just grinned sadly. "We don't know if he's really alive or not. If he isn't, then he would have wanted you to have it. So, I hope you like it."

Hot tears pricked at her eyes. She closed them and wiped at them with her arm. She managed to choke out one word through her sobs. "T…Thanks."

He smiled. "You're welcome."

He patted his daughter on the shoulder before he turned and left, leaving her to herself.

Mitsuro sat there for a while, hugging the uniform. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed softly to herself. This was the first time anything like this had been given to her. And the whole opportunity that she had been given since her acceptance into the Navy was still a shock to her. She wondered if her brother had gone through something similar, but that only brought more tears to her eyes.

She wiped them vigorously with her arm before she stood up, holding the rest of the uniform in her arms.

It took her a few minutes to change out of her civilian clothes and into the uniform she had been given by her father. It was a little big in the shoulders, but it fit comfortably otherwise. She examined her reflection in the mirror, and she smiled in satisfaction. The uniform fit her perfectly, and it really brought out her green eyes and tanned skin. Her brother's service pistol hung in its holster from around her waist, adding an unusual feeling to her body. She frowned. She'd have to get used to that.

Mitsuro glanced at the Duel Disk lying out of its package on the bed, and she walked over to it. She hefted it and slipped it on before turning back to the mirror.

It was just right. She smiled.

"Perfect," she murmured.

The door to her room opened again and her father poked his head in. "Mitsuro?"

She noticed his face brighten and a smirk appeared on his face. "Well, look at that. Your brother's uniform fits."

She nodded. "Yeah. It sure does." Then she became serious. "Dad, I really appreciate what's happened, but I just don't think I'm ready yet."

"I know, honey. But sometimes we have to step up and accept what we've been given. You've been given the chance to search out your brother this way," John told her.

"I have?" Mitsuro's eyes widened. "Are you serious, Dad?"

He nodded. "Yes. This way, you can find him, as well as find out what's going on with that school," he explained. "We have reason to believe that someone is planning something big, so like I told you last night, the higher ups want all the help they can get. It doesn't matter if you're still not ready. You're a good duelist and you have the guts to do what's right. That's something they value in a destroyer captain. They also value toughness, which you've displayed on more than one occasion. Plus, you have to have a strong will."

"I already understand that. But what if the crew doesn't accept me?" Mitsuro asked.

"That's one thing that may be of concern, but when the crew was chosen, they were picked because they were thought to be compatible with your personality. If they accept you, then that's a good thing. But you'll have to earn their respect, too," John said.

"Earn their respect? How?" Mitsuro blurted.

"It all comes down to how you can rally them together, and how good you lead them in battle," her dad explained. "Those are the two qualities that may or may not earn their respect. Destroyer crews tend to have high respect for good captains, and if you are a good captain, then they will respect you."

"Oh." Mitsuro looked down at her feet. "I see."

"Don't worry. You can do it," her father said. "I know you can."

He stepped up closer and wrapped his arms around her. She returned the hug, grateful for her dad being there for her when she needed him.

* * *

On the other side of the country, in a small house in New York, a young man sat at his desk, looking at the letter in his hand.

The young man grinned. "All right!" he cried, punching his fist into the air.

"Sora? What's going on up there?" his mom called up the steps.

"Sorry, mother," Sora Mikano shouted back. "I just got my acceptance letter to the Thelemic Pantheon. I am sorry if I disturbed you."

Sora Mikano was a good looking young man, with sandy-blonde hair that was combed back in a messy style to give it a wind-whipped look. He had sky blue eyes that were framed by some strands of hair. He had a muscular build, accentuated by the white shirt and red vest he wore. His blue jean shorts revealed his bulging thigh and leg muscles and his feet were encased in yellow and white sneakers.

He was the same age as Mitsuro, but unlike her, he was very special with a secret talent, a talent that had gotten him accepted by the Pantheon's founder. Another notable feature was the fact that he dressed much like Sora from the popular game series, _Kingdom Hearts_.

Sora was such an avid fan that he even built a deck around the series. His Duel Disk was also a key giveaway: it was shaped like the Keyblade.

His mother and father didn't approve of this, but they knew better than to argue with him about it because it was what he liked. In addition, he liked to study engineering, a profession he wanted to pursue because it gave him the chance to create new things, such as new Duel Disks, or even new dueling terminals for the companies.

The only downside was that he was a bit of a jerk.

He slipped the letter back into its envelope and placed it back on his desk.

He sighed in satisfaction and closed his eyes, wondering what the school looked like. He imagined that it had dorms, as well as a major classroom building where they learned new tricks and strategies of dueling, much like the famed Duel Academy. He wondered if it even had its own airport and dock.

That was something he wanted to see very much.

However, it wasn't as simple as that.

Having been born into a poorer family, he was the only child of a computer specialist and a pharmacist. His parents made good money, yes, but it wasn't enough to suit his needs. He imagined being a good enough duelist to the point where he would earn enough money to have a modestly large house and a few girls to have fun with.

His dream was to become the next King of Games, much like the legendary duelist Yugi Muto had been at least fifty years before. No doubt they had a ton of money to spend, he mused.

He looked around his room, taking in the array of Kingdom Hearts posters and game guides. His Wii was practically buried in the cases for his games, and his PSP was perched on his desk beside him.

"Sora? If you are preparing to go to that new school, then you'd better clean up your room before you leave!" his mother yelled up to him.

He frowned, but got up out of his seat.

"Fine. I'll do it, Mother," Sora said. He grabbed some of the cases for his games and began putting them away. As he worked, he imagined all kinds of good things happening for him. Becoming a good engineer was only one part of his dream. Being the King of Games was another.

But first he had to get out of his parents' house.

That came first.


	3. Meet the Crew

_Here's the third chapter. Mitsuro meets her crew, but encounters some dislike from most of them. Can she earn their respect in time for the escort?_

* * *

**Chapter 3: Meet the Crew**

Mitsuro followed her father down to the docks the next day after breakfast and her morning training session. The sun was partly covered by the clouds, which gave her some relief from the intense rays. That was the thing about living on a navy base; the heat was harsh sometimes.

She forced her discomfort from her mind as the two walked past several ships until they reached the dock where her new ship would be berthed once it was finished and commissioned. The dock was crowded with a large group of thirty or so people, each one looking right at her or elsewhere.

Suddenly, Mitsuro felt a bit intimidated. The men and women standing before her were probably some of the toughest sailors and seamen she had ever seen. She knew from seeing her brother's crew that a destroyer crew could be friendly when the captain formed a working relationship and bond with them, but these people looked like they had just been picked for her crew right off the bat.

She looked at John. "Dad, I…I don't know about this…" she murmured.

John smiled at her. "You can do it, Mitsuro. I know you can."

The young woman shivered and almost shied away, but then memories of the Shadow Realm incident last year and Matt's clones came back to her and she bit her lower lip. She wanted to find her brother, as well as try to solve the mystery of Matt's heritage and clones. She set her mouth into a grim line and stood up, squaring her shoulders as she did so. She approached the people before her, her father right beside her.

"So, this is the lass that's going to command us?" a big Irishman asked, looking at her.

"Yes, that's right, Captain," John said to the man. He placed a hand on her and introduced her. "This is my daughter, Mitsuro. She was recently accepted into the Navy and given command of her own destroyer."

The big Irishman looked at her critically. Mitsuro shivered under his gaze. His dark eyes probed her, looking her up and down. "I see. Well, lass, my name is Jacob O' Riley. I previously worked on an aircraft carrier in maintaining and recovering aircraft," he said with a slight scowl.

"The name's Pearl Winston," a black-skinned woman said. Her white hair shone in the meager sunlight the clouds allowed through, contrasting with her skin color. "I'm a radar operator, and I worked on subs before."

"Henry Wilson," a broad-shouldered man replied. He had a smile on his face as he shook her hand. "I heard about your brother, and I'm willing to help in any way I can." Mitsuro instantly warmed up to Henry. She felt that he would be a good asset to her crew.

"Zach Hobart," a blonde-haired man said. He merely glanced at her. "I worked with aircraft before on a carrier, but you have to earn our respect, you got that?" Mitsuro nodded.

A black-haired boy with golden eyes smiled shyly. "Tai Ishihara," he murmured. "I'm a fighter pilot, and I fly a Harrier Jump Jet."

"Name's Sal Hudson," a green-eyed woman muttered. "Engines are my thing, and I worked on 'em for twelve years."

"Terry Wilkson," a woman with an eye patch replied. "I work the guns, and I'm a good marksman to boot."

"Conner Green," a young man with black hair replied. He swept some out of his eyes and smiled. "I'm the assistant engineer."

"Charles Nixon," a broad-shouldered, white-haired man said. "But I go by the nickname Sniper. It's because I can snipe using a ship's guns."

"Justin Weekes," a red-headed man said. "I'm a good cook, and my entire kitchen staff is here." He waved to a group standing not too far from him. He nodded at a big black man with his head shaved and a couple of golden earrings in each ear. "That's our main chef, Lincoln Bradson." He waved to a woman with a green butterfly tattoo on her right shoulder. "That's Chelsea Poski…" A woman with two piercings on her lower lip was next. "…Kelsey Walker…" A big bald man with dark blue eyes was third. "…Hank Warson…" The last person on the kitchen staff was a man with bright green eyes and brown hair. "…and Hugh Justice."

"Greg Hansen," a man with sandy-blonde hair said. His green eyes sparkled humorously at her. "I'm also a part of the engineering crew. I maintained engines on two destroyers prior to this one."

"Zeke Potrovsky," a man with a Russian accent said. He was big in height and quite bulky. "I'm in charge of supplies."

"Name's Antov Sikorsvky," a second Russian said. His eyes were hard like flint, and his right cheek had a tattoo of a cross on it. "Manning the helm is my job."

"Hunter Watson," a German-accented man said with a small grin. "I handle the night shift and I'm pretty excellent at navigation."

"A.J. Kimaro," a Japanese American woman said. Her voice was sort of emotionless, but her eyes showed it. "I'm in charge of the munitions for the ship."

"Halley Edison," a woman with jade green eyes and blonde hair said. "I'm a medical officer and I've served on three other ships prior to this, including a submarine."

"Werner Von Hoch," a slim but muscled man said. He nodded at his own crew. "I'm in charge of guns and loading." A big man with a scar on his lower cheek glared at her. "Von Depher. He's my lead gunner, and he's the top one." A blue eyed woman with black hair nodded. "Hillary Winter. She's my best loader." A bigger man was introduced as Jacques Le Dona, the chief gunner on the ship. A Mexican with grey eyes and dark brown hair that was speckled with gray was introduced to her as being Diego Garerro, the leading antiaircraft gunner from the destroyer the USS_ Arleigh Burke_.

An African man stepped forward. "I am Henrico Zolo. I command the night watch."

"Andrew Kowalski. I'm a chopper pilot and I'll be in charge of the drones for the ship," a big Polish man said.

"Fred Jenson," a big Southerner said. He held out a beefy hand and placed it on his chest. "Ah'm in charge of maintainin' the drones for this ship."

"And I'm Helen Yates," a woman with green eyes and blue highlights in her red hair said. She blew a bubble and it popped. "I'm one of the best aircraft maintainers on the carrier where I worked."

Mitsuro noted that there were only thirty of them. She turned to face her father. "Dad, why are there only thirty crew members? Destroyers usually have crews of around three hundred."

"Your ship has an artificial intelligence that will command all the nonessential functions. That's the reason your ship has a greatly reduced crew," John told her.

"Yeah. It's a real waste of time and money," Helen muttered.

John looked at her and shook his head. "No. It's not. If used properly with you, it could become a formidable force, even if the crew is only a tenth of what a destroyer normally has."

"So, this is my entire crew?" Mitsuro asked.

Her father nodded as the crew for the destroyer began to disperse to other parts of the yard and naval base. "Yes. Any questions?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Why a fighter pilot as a part of the crew? A destroyer can't handle that," she said.

Her father smirked. "Ever hear of the Harrier Jump Jets?"

She cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, so?"

"Well, it turns out that the United States Air Force bought a few surplus jets and one of them was issued to Tai, who you just met. Those jets can take off like a helicopter, and they can land like one, too. So, with such a jet, a destroyer could complement its helicopter with high speed and maneuverability."

"Is that why?" she asked.

John nodded. "Yes. Your ship has been customized to handle the jet. A lift will retract into the ship with the jet on it, and doors that make up a helicopter pad will cover the lift and the jet, keeping it safe from harm."

"Wow…" Mitsuro wondered if there was a use for such a jet on her new ship.

Her father noticed this and smiled. "Already thinking of tactics, huh?" he teased.

Mitsuro flushed a bit. "No!" she protested. "I was just wondering what kind of uses it would have!"

John chuckled. "It's all right."

"But one thing is bothering me. A lot of them seemed to not like me," she murmured. "I don't think I can earn their respect."

"You can. But it all comes down to how you do it. The crew was chosen to try and match your personality, as well as your strengths," her father explained. "But if you don't like the assignment, then I can always see if it can be revoked."

"No. I'll try to deal with it. It'll be hard, but I can do it," she said, although she didn't feel like she could do it. '_I hope._'

Her father smiled. "Good. That's the kind of attitude that I like to hear." Mitsuro managed a weak grin, but deep down she doubted she could earn the respect of those tough men and women.

All that mattered on her ability to get them to listen to her, and even then it seemed impossible.

* * *

**Location: New York**

**Place: Mikano House**

**Time: 12:10**

Sora grinned as he checked off the list of the supplies for his first school year. "All right. I am fully prepared for the school year," he said. He slipped the list into the left pocket of his blue jean shorts and zipped up his suitcase before he grabbed his Duel Disk and put it into the front pouch. The Disk fit perfectly.

Once he zipped it up, he looked around his room and smiled in relief. He was finally about to set out on his dream journey to become the best duelist in the world, and it all started at the Themelic Pantheon.

He slipped the suitcase onto his back, (it also doubled as a backpack) and looked around his room one last time. Without even bothering to remake his bed and clean up the last time, he turned and left with a flourish of the tails of his vest.

Sora headed down the steps and stopped not too far from his parents who stood close to the door. "Mother, Father, I hope you realize that you cannot change my mind," he said.

"We know, Sora," his father said with a frown. "And we know that we can't stop you. So, good luck out there."

'_Even though you hate it._' Sora thought to himself.

"Just don't do anything that sets you apart," his mother said.

"I will not, Mother. I promise you I shall behave to the best I can," Sora replied.

"Well, then go. We'll be here," his father said with a firm nod.

Sora smiled as he turned and stepped out of his home into the world.

* * *

_A week later…_

It had been a full week since Mitsuro had returned home and been accepted into the Navy. A full week. She couldn't believe how fast time had flown. Dealing with training, trying to get to know her crew, and struggling to piece together her brother's disappearance was something that occupied her time and really kept her busy.

The training session for the next day took place in driving rain, meaning she had to endure the rain and cold winds. Her entire body was soaked to the bone, and her clothing did very little to keep out the freezing temperatures, but she had to deal with it. She wasn't a tough person for nothing!

She skidded around a parked Jeep, her eyes locked onto the end of the obstacle course. She ducked underneath a hanging rope and ran for the end of the course. All that remained between her and the finish line now were three meters of open pavement…and one team of Marines.

If she could get past them, then she completed the course. Plus, there was the fact that there was a time limit involved. Mitsuro skidded to a stop and studied the terrain, noting any absence of cover and a lack of something to use as cover. She glanced at each of the Marines, all of them with looks of determination on their faces.

She tensed. She would have to come up with something on the fly for this one.

She broke out into a run.

One of the Marines waved to his comrades and two of them moved in to try and outflank her. Mitsuro noticed this and ducked underneath their arms as they reached out to try and grab her. She lunged forward and placed one of her hands on the ground, using her forward momentum to propel herself into a back flip. She landed on her feet and dashed to the left, moving in a flanking tactic of her own.

A Marine came at her from the front, but she jumped to the right and lashed out in a kick, barely missing him as he moved back. She used the opportunity to dive to the left, landing on her hands and knees before she scrambled to her feet. She ran past him and was almost caught in a trap as three Marines circled her. But by backtracking, Mitsuro was able to avoid the trap and get past them. She zipped past a nearby Marine as he tried to grab her foot and she leapt over his hand. She landed on her feet as the disappointed and disgruntled Marines left the area.

Now all that remained was the team leader.

"You're good. You managed to outwit my men with almost no trouble," he said.

"Thanks, sir," Mitsuro replied.

"But in order to complete this course, you need to beat me," the man said.

"I know," Mitsuro told him. "So, let's do this!"

"Right to the point. Excellent." He got into a fighting stance. "But you know you have only twenty-four seconds left, right?"

She gritted her teeth. "I only need ten!" she hissed.

He smirked. "Let's see if that claim is true." He charged at her, attempting to force her out of the boundaries of the "battle zone", but she dodged to the side and lashed out in a punch that nearly caught him in the jaw. He dodged, but the blow grazed his cheek and he landed on his side. Mitsuro was already in motion again as she snatched his arm and pulled it behind him as he got to his feet. She spun to the side, lashing out in a roundhouse while keeping her upper body still and maintaining a firm grip on his arm. Her kick hit him in the back and he landed on his stomach. She released his arm and ran for the finish line.

The clock flashed with her finish time.

She turned and glanced at it, surprised to see that her brief fight with the leader of the Marine team had taken only _five_ seconds instead of ten.

Overall, her completion time rivaled that of several others, meaning she was fifth in finishing.

Only four others had beaten her.

"All right!" she exclaimed. "I came in fifth!"

"Good job," her training instructor said as he stepped up. "But you still have much to do, understand, soldier?"

"Yes, sir!" Mitsuro replied, giving a sharp salute.

The rest of the training went smoothly and before she knew it, she was through. Her reflexes had increased quite a bit in some areas, such as shooting and physical training.

It was around noon when the session was called off. She felt tired as hell, but it was worth it, she knew. She had to go through this if she was to be a part of the military. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw several of the crew smirking at her. She frowned, but she squared her shoulders and straightened up. She would show them, and she knew it!

She arrived back at the house less than a half hour later, still soaking wet. As soon as she entered the front door, her father noticed her. "Training in the rain is harsh," he remarked as he tossed her a towel.

"Tell me about it," she grumbled. She caught the towel and began wiping her face. "But it's getting better."

"That's good. And the crew?" John asked.

Mitsuro growled at the mention of her crew. "They still don't accept me," she muttered.

"It takes time," John told her. "I served on a destroyer once and they're a tightly knit group. It takes time to form into a cohesive whole."

"No. I mean they don't recognize me as their captain," she clarified.

"Oh. I'm afraid I can't help you there," John said sadly.

"I was hoping you would," Mitsuro murmured.

She turned and threw the towel back. "Thanks, though."

John caught the towel and watched his daughter head up into her room.

* * *

Mitsuro couldn't understand why the crew wouldn't accept her. Was it because she was a newbie? Or was it because of her gender? Most women never commanded a destroyer, and she was the first, but also the youngest, female commander in the navy.

She just wished she understood why her crew wouldn't accept her.

That was only one of the many things going through her mind at that point. The other things revolved around the unusual events at Duel Academy and the mysterious Ghost Duelist, especially Kasumi's unusual behavior and personality change.

"Who is the Ghost Duelist…and what kind of power does he have?" Mitsuro murmured. She closed her eyes and reflected back on the last day before the carrier had come to pick her up.

_YGXYGXYGX-Flashback-YGXYGXYGX_

_Mitsuro stood on the dock, looking out at the sea as the waves lapped at the concrete structure. Beside her stood Bryan Knight. His eyes were full of disbelief and rage at his former best friend and brother, but she didn't even question why he was angry with Matt._

_Instead, she was focused on other things._

"_Why?" Bryan suddenly asked._

_That got her attention. "Huh? Why what?" she asked, looking at him._

"_Why does this kind of stuff have to happen?" Bryan asked. "My best friend…a cheater in dueling. It's just not fair to any of us here."_

"_I don't doubt that one," Mitsuro remarked, not fully understanding what he was talking about. "And there's another thing that's bothersome."_

"_If you're referring to the Ghost Duelist, then I know how you feel, Mitsuro," he said._

"_Just one question," she said. "Why do you accuse Matt of being a cheater? You two are almost like brothers."_

"_Matt _was_ cheating," Bryan hissed. "He has some kind of spirit inside him, and that thing was influencing the cards he drew during a duel. He wasn't playing on his own terms. In fact, it's just a load of bullshit!"_

"_Hold up. He has a _spirit_ inside him?" Mitsuro blurted, shocked at the accusation._

"_Yeah. It's true, too. Apparently he's some kind of god or something. I don't even really know myself anymore." Bryan looked down at the sea, studying his reflection. "I can't believe I even considered him to be a brother to me now."_

"_Oh."_

_Mitsuro turned back to the sea herself, looking out at the shimmering waves, remembering someone. Her eyes became glazed as memories flitted through her mind._

_Bryan noted her silence and nudged her. "Hey, you okay?"_

_She nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine. I'm just thinking back to what Kasumi's done, and of how different she is."_

"_I know. She doesn't even speak to Matt any more, like me," Bryan said. "But why does that even matter to you?"_

"_It matters because she's not normally like that," Mitsuro said. "It's almost like she's been…changed, somehow. And that bothers me. No one should go through a transformation that quickly. Nor should they have that kind of ability in dueling. It's almost like she's a different woman now."_

"_I see," Bryan murmured. He ran a hand through his hair. "Well, I have about ten minutes before my flight leaves back for the mainland. What about you?"_

"_I'm waiting for someone to pick me up," Mitsuro said softly._

"_Who?"_

"_I don't know."_

_The two stood there for another five minutes before a loud honking caught her attention. The two looked around, but it was Bryan who spotted the ship. "Uh, Mitsuro?"_

_Mitsuro turned and her eyes widened in shock as the aircraft carrier lowered its boarding ramp. The captain stood at the top, waving an arm._

_YGXYGXYGX-End Flashback-YGXYGXYGX_

The young woman opened her eyes and looked out at the sky, watching the light of a plane flying overhead. She placed a hand on the window and followed its trail before it faded into the distance.

She wished that it had been a shooting star.


	4. Ship Drills and Reflections

_Here's the fourth chapter. Mitsuro and her crew drill in ship handling, Tai's connection with Mitsuro becomes apparent, and Sora's secret is revealed._

* * *

**Chapter 4: Ship Drills and Reflections**

The sun was shining down on the water as Mitsuro walked past the other vessels. She felt sweat forming on her palms as she approached the cluster of sailors and naval aircrew gathered close to the nearest destroyer. Her eyes flicked away from them to study the ship they were to be training on.

It wasn't that much bigger than the ship currently in the process of being completed. But it was much bulkier in terms of armor and armament. The height made for a vast contrast to the sleekness of the ship beside it, but the layout was the same. Mitsuro made a face. The sides of the ship were becoming coated in rust and a few streaks of oil were located near the rear of the ship.

"Do we really _have_ to practice on this thing?" she muttered.

She turned her gaze back to her crew, and she noticed that more than a few of them seemed grossed by the condition of the ship. She smirked. '_It looks like they don't really like it either._' Mitsuro thought with a hint of satisfaction.

Henry Wilson turned to face her. "Oh, Commander!" he greeted her with a smile. "It's about time for ship handling drills, right?"

She nodded, feeling her heart in her throat. "Yeah. But I wasn't expecting such a ship for us to use." She motioned to the ship before them.

"Ugh. Who in their right mind would give _anyone_ such a crappy ship?" Helen Yates grumbled.

"Well, you may as well deal with it, because it's all we've got until our other ship is up and running!" Mitsuro hissed as she looked at the other woman.

Helen rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Yeah, right."

Mitsuro felt rage building in her chest, but she kept herself calm. She didn't want to risk losing her command so early into her career.

It took them an hour and a half to get out to sea once they had all gotten on board. The first thing that everyone agreed on was that the ship was _horrible_. Nothing seemed to work properly, and that included the engines. They skipped a few times every few minutes, forcing Conner Green and Sal Hudson and Greg Hansen to work around the clock to try and keep them running.

Mitsuro looked at the crew assembled in the bridge and felt a twinge of intimidation. But she forced it from her mind. She had to do this. "All right. This is our first drill as a team, so let's try and get it done right. Any mess-ups and you'll be doing pushups."

Three of the crew shook their heads at her statement. They apparently seemed disappointed in her.

Mitsuro bit her lip, but she shook her head. "No! Stay focused," she muttered. "Don't let this get to you!"

She straightened up and looked at them with what she hoped was a confident expression, but she doubted it. She began to give orders to them, and a couple of her crewmates scoffed, but they followed the orders.

They trained for three hours in loading the guns and firing them. It was very loud and hard work. Without automatic reloaders, it took three minutes for them to get one gun loaded and fired. The systems used to raise and depress the guns were shot, so they lacked the proper angle at which to strike their target ship.

At least the radar worked, which was a big bonus for them. They managed to shoot down one training drone as it buzzed the ship, but that was their only confirmed "kill". The ship's rudder was also frozen in some spots, so the evasive maneuvers were useless. Plus the ship lacked a helicopter for antisubmarine duty. So the chopper pilot and his crew were pissed.

The only benefit was that the life boats were usable, so they went through the drills for rescuing and retrieving crew members over the next few days. That was something good. But each time they carried out a fighting drill, they failed miserably. And Tai Ishihara was of very little use because their training ship lacked a space for his Harrier jet to be parked.

The second week of her training went smoothly and by the third week, they had perfected the art of fighting with a damaged and rusting ship. Mitsuro guessed that this was to also get her used to fighting in a badly damaged destroyer. But she didn't know why.

The fourth week was halfway through when she and her crew got word of their ship's finish.

* * *

_Around the same time…_

The young man glanced nervously at his hand. The cards he held were hidden from his opponent's eyes, but for some reason, his opponent seemed to know what cards he was going to play! How was he going to win this one!

Across from him stood Sora. He had a smirk on his face as he skimmed his cards with a finger. "Let's see… I'll set one card face down and end my turn."

"Good! Now time to end this!" the man snarled.

"I couldn't agree more, my friend. But it is your end, not mine," Sora purred.

"We'll see about that!" the man spat. He drew a card and smirked. "I'll play Swords of Revealing Light! This card cancels out your battle phase for three turns!" Six swords appeared around Sora's field, but Sora wasn't fazed by this move.

He smirked. "I doubt it," he said.

"And why not?" the man snarled.

"Because I play Spell of Release!" Sora cried. He waved a hand and the card flipped face up on the field. "You see, when you activate a Spell card, I can activate this card and redirect its effect at you. So…" As he spoke, the swords shifted position and launched themselves at the man and impacted on his field. "_You_ can't attack for three turns."

"We'll see," the man murmured softly.

He glanced down at one of his cards in his hand and Sora sneered. He focused his eyes on that card, and instantly, he felt his ability kick in. The image of the card appeared in his mind's eye, almost as if he were seeing it from his opponent's perspective, and he knew what it was instantly. He blinked and he looked down at his own hand. It was perfect.

"I set one card face down and end my turn," his opponent said.

Sora could tell that it was the card his opponent had selected. He drew his own card from his deck and his sneer grew into a full-fledged grin. "It appears that this duel is over," Sora remarked.

"Bring it on!" the man said with a sneer of his own.

Sora slapped his card down on his Duel Disk. "I activate the Spell Card Firaga!"

"What does that do?" the man asked.

Sora smiled. "Basically, it destroys set Spells and Traps and inflicts five hundred points of damage for each card destroyed. Since you have four hundred life points left, this means that you lose the duel!"

The man's eyes widened in horror and shock as the flames from Sora's Spell Card set his facedown ablaze, causing it to explode not a second later. He threw up his arms in an instinctive reaction to block the smoke, but since it was holographic, there was no real need.

He lowered his arms and slumped to the ground, confused. "How…? How'd I lose?" he whispered.

"That is for me to know and you to never find out," Sora said simply. He shut down his Duel Disk and walked off, leaving the man to stew in his own defeat.

Sora sneered. '_He never even caught on!_' he thought. No one could resist his ability, no matter how hard they tried. It was the same story as well for the last several days. Every opponent he challenged in the city of Santa Barbara was easily defeated by him. Already he had established a reputation in the city around the campus, and he was drawing attention to himself.

A few pretty girls had also fallen for him. So that was one bonus.

He enjoyed the attention he received, and he loved every second of it.

"I can't wait for the school year to begin," he murmured. "And hopefully I shall defeat one of the weak Duel Academy wimps that insist that their school is the best."

The Themelic Pantheon was hardly the newest school for dueling, and it was hardly as well-known as Duel Academy, which he knew was famous for certain events in its history, but he was sure that it would become one of the best schools in due time. Not even he, with his ability, could tell how long it would take. That was one downside.

Duel Academy…

Sora was confused as to how come people still went there, even after some very dangerous situations concerning the students at the school. Was it because of said events that it drew in more students than even the most elite school he knew of? That seemed to be the case.

He knew a friend who had gone there, only to disappear two weeks later. He never showed up again. And his friend had gone to the school to see if one such event would happen.

Personally, Sora despised Duel Academy because of its history and its reputation.

As the weeks passed and he became more familiar with the city, he encountered some duelists with good cards and excellent strategies, but each time he triumphed over them. To some of the residents, he seemed to have an aura of invincibility, and he always signed autographs when they asked for one.

Plus, his good looks got him a lot of attention with the women. He loved fondling them, and sometimes he even took a woman to bed. It was an amazing three weeks until he met someone who would change his life forever.

* * *

_Four weeks later…_

**Location: Naval Base San Diego**

**Docks**

**Time: 1245, 12:45 pm, Local Time**

**Unnamed Navy ship**

Mitsuro hopped out of the Jeep as it pulled away from the dock. She waved to the driver and turned to face the ship.

It glinted in the sunlight, the sleek angles of its deck and superstructure enhanced by the light. The gunmetal grey seemed to suit the vessel, and its guns reflected the sun's rays, adding an air of danger and menace to them. The hangar doors for the fighter jet's hangar were opened and exposing the jet perched on its lift. The only things missing were the numbers.

The crew stood assembled close to the ship as well, staring in mild awe and, in Tai's case, shock. Mitsuro couldn't blame him. She was also shocked.

"Wow… This is an amazing vessel," she whispered.

"I bet," Henry said with a grin as he turned to face her.

"So, are we going on board or what?" Helen asked in a bored tone.

Mitsuro nodded.

It didn't take them long to get on board and find their cabins and bunkrooms. Mitsuro searched hers out and was surprised to see it right behind the bridge. Then again, that was one of the perks of being the captain of a ship.

The rest of the crew split up and began checking out the different aspects of the ship, stunned to find the latest high-tech gear and equipment that they needed. The radar was state-of-the-art, and all communications was tapped into satellites, enabling live real-time conversations to take place. The helm of the vessel was very simple to operate.

As for the defenses, the guns were not the standard defenses that she had come to expect. The guns themselves were laser guns. They could fire farther, faster, and longer than normal projectile guns. They could also pivot higher and had a greater depressing range, meaning they could also take out enemy subs, if possible.

But it was the engines that made the vessel unique and special. Unlike a traditional destroyer, the new destroyer didn't use a fossil fuel powered engine. Instead, it used a set of engines that used seawater to provide limitless power to the ship. A process called magnetohydrodynamics made it possible. Mitsuro had heard of such a process in the works. She just hadn't thought that it would become possible to have a working prototype in such a short time. From what she understood, it used liquid helium to strip free electrons from seawater and that provided power to the ship. The water that the electrons were stripped from was then pushed out the back of the ship via a number of pump jets, much like a rocket's engine let out exhaust in a way. The force of the water emitted from the jets enabled a vessel to travel at very high speeds, making them able to outrun all other ships. But as a result, the ship equipped with such engines had to have hydrofoil fins mounted on the bottom of the hull for a certain speed limit. Above the set limit, the foils produced drag and had to be retracted or else they would snap.

Upon inspection of the engine room, Mitsuro was amazed to find that the ship itself was equipped with two massive engines. Once she saw them, she ran back out onto the dock and peered under the clear water, stunned to see six pump jets on the back of the vessel.

"So, what do you think?"

Mitsuro spun to face her father as he stood beside his truck. "Dad!"

"Do you like it?" he asked, motioning to the ship.

"Dad…it's amazing!" Mitsuro murmured. "But, I didn't expect the ship to be equipped with the new engines. The last I heard about it was that such engines were still in the works. How did the Navy get such engines for this?"

"A recent breakthrough put the engines on the production line way ahead of schedule. Hence why your ship was outfitted with them. They did the job during test trials, and during the simulated sea trials, they did better than expected," John said.

"Does this mean the ship's finished?" she asked.

"Not exactly. All that's missing is the name," John told her. "So, did you come up with one?"

She shook her head. "No. I didn't. I don't even know _what_ I should call it!" she murmured, clenching her fists.

Her father placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know. But it needs a name in order for it to be registered with the US Navy."

"Such as?"

"You decide that one," he said.

Mitsuro looked back at the ship and watched as her crew, now thoroughly impressed, explored every inch and nook and cranny, getting an idea of the layout. Against her will and better judgment, memories of her brother came into her mind and she looked down, trying to force them back. She managed to do it, but in the midst of all those memories, one stood out the most.

That memory sparked something. A name came to her mind.

"Rising dawn…"

"What?" John looked at her in confusion. "Rising dawn?"

She nodded as she looked at him. "Yeah. That's the name. The _Rising Dawn_."

Her father placed a hand on his chin in thought. "USS _Rising Dawn…_ I like it!" he said, smiling. He looked at her. "That's a great name for it."

"Yeah." Mitsuro nodded and turned back to the ship. "It sure is."

* * *

_The next day…_

Mitsuro stood out on the deck of her new ship, the newly named _USS Rising Dawn_. The waves crashed against the bow, sending shudders racing through the frame of the ship, but it held up well. The light, yet strong metal that the construction teams had used was something else, she had to admit. She was impressed by the vessel's capabilities so far, yet they had to test them in actual combat. And if not, then they may as well test them out in the middle of the ocean.

She smiled as the ship turned slightly to the left. She knew that the helmsman was trying to get a feel for the ship's unique handling. The ship was a new type that was still in the testing stages, but it was already handling well in actual sea conditions.

But they had no idea of what was coming much later on. Not at all.

* * *

Tai Ishihara smirked as he stood on the stern of the ship, feeling the vibrations of the ship's powerful engines beneath his feet. It brought to the fore his feelings of being able to enjoy such power. It was one of the reasons he had tried so hard to join the US Air Force. After much discussion and struggling to get past the disability factor, he was brought in.

After going through basic and Air Force training, he was first assigned to the USS _George Washington_ for a few years flying F/A-18 Hornets and conducting antisubmarine duty with a fellow pilot he had come to know well. In fact, his duty and ability to adapt quickly were two of the factors that qualified him for promotion to lieutenant and the offer of a lifetime: to fly a Harrier Jump Jet recently purchased from the United Kingdom's aging Royal Air Force.

He enjoyed it.

Flying a Harrier was one experience he always enjoyed. His most favorite feature of the jet was the fact that it could take off and land like a helicopter thanks to exhaust jets on the bottom of the craft. It was also capable of vertical takeoff, and as a result of the jets, it was incredibly maneuverable, a trait he liked better than the jets themselves.

That maneuverability had saved his life once during a tour in Iran during the Iranian Civil War. He shivered as he recalled the Iranian fighter jets streaking toward him, their missiles about to be released from their wings. He remembered the light of the burning towns, the blood of those on the ground as they lay dying—

He shook his head and forced the memories of combat from his mind. He couldn't dwell on those, especially since he had another reason for being here.

His older brother.

He remembered the day his older brother had been found set adrift in a life raft with very little food and water. That day had changed him forever. Ever since he returned home and retired from the service, he refused to set foot on _any_ kind of ship, whether it was a rowboat or even a simple paddleboat! That, coupled with his unusual silence and violent behavior toward anyone who even mentioned a ship, made Tai very worried.

Beforehand his brother, Satoshi Ishihara, had been very outgoing and willing to serve his country. Now, however, he was very reclusive and violent at the mention of ships.

And Tai wanted to find out why. So the only way to do that was to help Mitsuro find out about her brother's disappearance.

Tai had a few theories himself, but even though they sounded logical, he felt that they were also _il_logical. It didn't help much that he was considered a child prodigy in some areas of learning. He was twenty one, the same age as Mitsuro, but he was more intelligent in terms of computers, math, science, and history. Plus, although he was in the military, he had Asperger's Syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism. That had nearly gotten him kicked out, but after endless talking and a phone call to one of the higher ups, he was admitted into the Air Force.

He was curious as to why he was so smart and why he didn't get sick at all. His parents told him that it was a lucky thing, but he somehow doubted what they told him. Then there were his golden eyes. His father had hazel eyes and his mother had brown eyes, so he guessed that the two colors had mixed to create gold colored eyes. But something seemed off about that part, too. However, it seemed like the perfect explanation for now. So he let it go.

Tai's mind drifted back to his brother's behavior and the day he had discovered the contrasting change. He remembered the expression on Satoshi's face clearly. He recalled the way his lips were curled into a snarl and his eyes blazed with fire and anger. He reflected on the pain he felt when his brother had struck him with his fists repeatedly after mentioning the word "ship", and the warmth of the blood he had felt that day seemed to return to him. It felt as if it were still running down his face and into his mouth before running down the side of his chin.

He rubbed the spot with a hand, feeling the scar left over from when he got stitches.

Tai had learned to not mention ships around Satoshi again.

And that bothered him.

What had happened that caused him to act so strangely? Was it because of what caused Jason's destroyer to sink? Or was it something else?


	5. Naval Battle and Respect

_Mitsuro and her crew get transported to a mysterious realm and they engage an unknown warship in combat in order to return home! And Mitsuro finally earns the respect of her crew._

* * *

**Chapter 5: Naval Battle and Respect**

The light of the stars glimmered on the sea as waves lapped at far distant shores. Beneath the moonless night, the shimmering wake of a ship could be seen from an aerial view, much like a small spark spreading light in its path. On the deck of the USS_ Rising Dawn_, Mitsuro watched the sea glide past the ship's bow, parting easily before it.

She smiled faintly as tears pricked at her eyes. Ever since her brother's disappearance, she sometimes cried herself to sleep. But it wasn't as common as it had been right after that strange naval fight. Even now, she still did.

But it wasn't as common, which was good, especially considering the fact that she now commanded a crew.

Soft footsteps on the metal deck caught her attention and she turned, only to come face to face with Tai. The young man looked like he had been busy with his plane. Smudges of oil were visible on his face and his hair was a bit disheveled. "Hey, Mitsuro," he murmured.

"Oh, hey, Tai." Mitsuro turned back to the ocean. "What's going on?"

"I'd thought I'd do a little work on the plane," Tai said. "I did a few checks and some routine work. The usual."

"I see."

"What about you?" Tai asked.

"Just some training, and a few workouts, not to mention some difficulty in getting the rest of the crew to respect me!" Mitsuro snapped.

"That's hard, huh?" Tai asked with a grin.

"More than you know," the young woman said. "I didn't expect this to be easy, but then again, I didn't expect it to be this difficult either. Sure, some of the crew already respects me, but the others are just so hard."

"That's tough. I know back when I served on a carrier for the first time, I had to earn the respect of my fellow wingmen. It took time, but I did it," Tai told her. "My call sign was Gundam. I was about to finish a sentence when the plane was launched, and it was so unexpected that I swore as a result."

"Hence the call sign!" Mitsuro realized.

Tai laughed. "Yeah. Plus the fact that I was always watching _Gundam_ episodes on the Internet when I had free time."

Mitsuro chuckled. "Sounds like the right call sign for you."

"So, why did you decide to join the Navy?" Tai asked.

Mitsuro's face suddenly became filled with an emotion Tai had never seen before. He struggled to figure out which one it was, but the only word that came to mind was sadness. He realized at that point that she was feeling sad, if not pained by someone's loss. He wondered if he had upset her in some way.

"I…I want to find my older brother," she murmured, clenching her fists on the railing.

Tai's eyes widened. "Is your brother lost?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No. He's not lost. He went missing in a naval battle off the coast of South Africa when I was only twelve. I want to find out what happened in that fight, to see if he is still alive."

"Wasn't he on the ship when it went down?" Tai asked.

"No. He wasn't. His body wasn't among those of the crew when his destroyer was found just a few years later. And he wasn't one of those found adrift, either," Mitsuro said. Her eyes became hard as she spoke. "So I want to try and find him."

"I'm sorry," Tai said. "Sometimes losing someone can be hard."

"Not as hard as it was for me," she whispered. Her hands were now gripping the railing so tight that her knuckles had turned white. "It felt like some part of my heart was torn out, leaving a hole in its place. He had always been there for me, encouraged me, and taught me what I know regarding Duel Monsters. So, yeah. His loss struck me pretty hard."

"I know," Tai murmured. "The reason I joined the Air Force is kind of the same."

"Huh?" She looked at him, confusion appearing on her face. "How so?"

"Believe it or not, my brother was on the same destroyer as your brother. Satoshi Ishihara is his name," Tai explained. "He was one of those found adrift at sea after your brother's ship sank. But when he came back to the United States, he quit the service and never set foot on a ship again. He changed after that dat."

Tai's eyes hardened as he rubbed the spot where he had gotten nailed as a young boy. "I learned that the hard way."

"How?" Mitsuro asked.

"Satoshi never reacted violently at the mention of ships before. I made the mistake of doing that once, and he lashed out at me, hitting me and nearly throwing me into a coma if my parents didn't step in. My mother's a Marine, so she was able to subdue him and restrain him while my dad called the medics," Tai said. As he looked at her, she noticed how his golden eyes caught the stars and they seemed to shimmer in the light.

"He really did that?" Mitsuro murmured.

Tai nodded. "Yes. And I want to find out why he changed, how he changed, and if there's a cause for it. So that's why I'm here."

"I see," Mitsuro murmured. She turned back to the sea and together they stood there for a while.

It seemed like three hours had passed before a strange mist began to encircle the warship.

Mitsuro and Tai looked around, confused. What was going on? The mist seemed to be much more than normal fog.

The same thought floated through their minds at the exact same time and they ran for the bridge. They reached the bridge and burst inside just as the crew finished assembling inside.

"All right, what's going on?" Mitsuro demanded as she skidded to a stop.

Pearl Winston looked up from the radar and scowled. "As you can see, _Commander_…" She emphasized the word with her fingers. "…we're trapped in a mysterious mist that has cut off all our communications systems."

Mitsuro's eyes widened. "What? _All_ communications are cut off?"

She nodded. "Every single one." A smirk spread across her face, almost as if she were mocking the other woman.

Mitsuro frowned. She didn't like the way the white-haired woman was mocking her. She looked away and walked over to the window, looking out at the sea. The waters seemed much more sinister in the dark grayness of the mist. The depth seemed to increase infinitely, making it seem like her ship was sailing on top of darkness, barely held aloft by some unknown force.

"God… It's like pea soup out there," Tai whispered.

"Much worse than that," Mitsuro murmured. She had no idea why, but she was getting a very bad feeling in her gut.

"How could it be worse?" Tai asked.

As if to mock his question, a low rumble seemed to emanate from the mist around them. It closely resembled a roar of some kind, but they couldn't be sure.

The helmsman, Antov Sikorsvky, frowned. "Something's wrong," he said in a low tone.

"What could be wrong, aside from being commanded by some newbie commander and being trapped in a mist that we can't get out of?" Pearl asked, glaring at the Russian.

Antov glanced out of the corner of his eye at her. "I know that you don't like it, and I don't either. But that's not what I'm referring to!" he hissed.

"Then what is it?" Mitsuro asked, interrupting the two.

Antov glared at her, but he spoke anyway. "I recognize that rumble. I heard it once before."

"Wait… You were on my brother's ship!" Mitsuro blurted.

Antov nodded. "Yes. I respected him because he was a good captain, and if you're anything like him, you might be able to get us out of here."

Mitsuro fell silent at this. He had known her brother? And he had served on the same ship? "I…I don't believe it…" She was shocked, but then the rumble echoed again, forcing her to become serious. She faced Antov directly. "What can you tell me about the source of the rumble?"

"It's hard to see, but it's there. From its shape, I knew that it was a ship, but unlike anything I had seen. It was misty, almost like the so-called _Flying Dutchman_, but at the same time, it was solid," he said. "The armaments are unlike anything we faced. They fire beams of energy, like lasers, but it's not laser technology."

"Anything else?"

Antov shook his head. "Nothing else."

"Damn!" Mitsuro muttered. She had been expecting more information. What she had learned wasn't much to go on, but then again, she would have to make do.

The radar pinged at that moment, and a monotone male voice rang through the bridge. "_Unidentified vessel approaching to starboard, three hundred meters out._"

She bit her lower lip as she ran through a few potential strategies in her mind. The only unknowns were the mysterious vessel's speed, armaments' range, length, width, height, tonnage, dimensions, crew number, fighting style, armaments, hull thickness, radar range, communications, etc. The number of unknown factors was infinite. Meaning they had zero chance at winning.

But that didn't mean that they weren't going to try. They had to, if they were to get out of here alive.

Mitsuro glanced at the assembled crew and spoke. "Okay. This is the deal. We're stranded in the middle of some unknown mist, being pursued or sought out by an unknown enemy vessel. Our communications are shut off, and we have practically no information on our unknown pursuer. So we need to act as if we are under siege, which I have a feeling we will be some time soon. I want everyone to be prepared if we fall under fire by this ship. Any attempt to contact us will be met with radio silence, and all attempts at docking will be met with counter fire. In short, don't hold back, and don't make contact."

Her eyes swept over them. "Now, all of you don't respect me, and I have to earn your respect. I know that. But that doesn't mean that you can disobey direct orders. So I need your help in this. We need to work together to get out of here, and we need to do it right. All of us are a part of this ship's crew, and we need to act like it. All of us. That includes those of you who distrust me. Any attempts at munity will be put down and the person will be thrown into their room for a while and placed under guard. Is that clear?"

The crew nodded, even though some of them still didn't trust her.

"Good. Now get to your assigned stations and prepare for combat!" Mitsuro ordered.

They nodded and scrambled to their battle stations.

Once the majority of the crew had left, she turned to face the bridge windows and sighed. It all came down to this. If she got them out, then no doubt they would respect her. If not, then she would ask for a new crew. Hopefully, this would work out in her favor.

It was almost time.

"Time for combat," she murmured.

The destroyer's engines whined as the ship was thrown into reverse almost immediately.

The one good thing about the new magnetohydrodynamic engines was that they could be reversed, which meant using forward thrusters to slow the ship almost like a car slamming on the brakes. It wasn't without its risks, though. The jolt usually caught people off guard, but sometimes it didn't if they knew when to expect it. The jolt, if the crew or passengers were caught off guard, usually sent them sprawling and/or a few injuries were sustained as well. The worst injury anyone had received when a ship performed this maneuver was a broken leg.

But this time, everyone had been expecting the jolt. Mitsuro was nearly thrown off her feet, but she stayed on her feet thanks to her balance.

She glanced at one of the screens displaying the exterior of the ship. The stern was shown on this screen and she could make out the outline of the Harrier Jump jet as it rose from its hangar into the dim lighting of the mist. Tai was visible in the cockpit thanks to the light of the instruments and panels that filled the cockpit's control consoles. His eyes flicked over them before he looked over at Helen Yates and flashed the thumbs up. She returned the gesture.

Tai engaged his plane's engines and the aircraft lifted off the lift into the air.

Mitsuro watched this and smiled.

* * *

Tai glanced at the controls. So far so good. Everything was in the green. He adjusted himself in the seat and flipped down the visor for his helmet. Then he gripped the controls and pushed the throttle forward. The jet streaked off into the mist. Around him, he could see the mist streaking past his Harrier jet, almost like spider webs flying off an old car.

He did a check of the satellite positioning, but as was expected, there was nothing. Tai gritted his teeth. '_This is gonna be harder than I thought._'

He adjusted his position, looking at the scanner. There was an object ahead of him, but it was hard to get a fix because of the mist. So he did the best thing he could think of: he guessed the position of the mysterious object.

Using the destroyer as a reference, he banked to the left and flew in a rough angle of forty-five degrees to the left of it. He took a bearing on the ship's position and did a quick sweep of the sea with the radar.

A loud pinging caught his attention. He glanced at the radar and his eyes widened when he noticed an oblong object not too far from the destroyer. But it was still, almost like it wasn't moving. Tai bit his lower lip, torn between investigating the object and returning to the ship. The possibility of finding out about it was great, but so was the risk of danger. Still, it was best to take it and try to help them in escaping this unknown realm.

He began to circle the object.

Each cycle brought him closer to it, and lower as well. He barely skimmed above the ocean, trying to stay low and not get caught at the same time. It was rough work, but thanks to the new stealth technology developed by the US Air Force for all non-stealth built planes, he was able to stay out of radar range for a good hundred and fifty meters.

The mist partly concealed the object, but now he could see that it was a ship of some kind. The ship was a warship of some kind, judging from the armaments he could see. Unlike other warships he had seen, the bridge was situated more towards the back than the center, and the guns on the front held more of a sinister look to them than the guns of the destroyer. On the top of the bridge was a flag of some kind, but due to the dim light, he couldn't see it.

He narrowed his eyes, but even his excellent vision was useless.

"I have to get closer," he murmured.

But before he could, a loud boom resounded, sending its power out in the direction of his fighter jet. Tai hissed as he pressed a button and his plane banked sharply to the left, using the two left side hover jets. The unknown projectile streaked past him and into the distance. He glanced back just as an explosion erupted, sending seawater skyward, along with a few sharks.

The blood drained from his face as he stared in shock at the devastation caused to the sea life.

If that was only _one_ projectile…

He didn't want to stick around. He sharply turned his plane using the two right side hover jets and the craft spun a hundred and eighty degrees in the complete opposite direction. He pushed the throttle to full and his plane shot ahead and away from the enemy position.

The unknown ship's engines rumbled to life and it began to give chase.

* * *

On the bridge of the USS _Rising Dawn_, Mitsuro watched this with dread in her stomach. It was just as she had feared. The enemy was more powerful than they were.

The mysterious ship came closer to them, but she noted that it wasn't that fast in terms of speed and agility, which meant they had the advantage in speed. At least that's what she hoped. She glanced at Antov. "Put us into a heading of three-one-two! Get us out of that thing's way!"

He nodded and pressed a few buttons, using the advanced thrusters on the sides of the ship to turn, along with the power of her unique engines. The vessel spun almost in a complete circle, using its powerful engines to push itself out of the way of the unknown ship, but barely.

As it passed by her ship, she noticed the weapons mounted on the front. It was more of a sinister ship right out of a horror novel, complete with spiked weapons and a spiked superstructure, in a sense. Two lifeboats were located on each side, leading her to conclude that the crew was practically nonexistent.

That was a good thing, in a sense. She didn't really have to worry about killing innocent lives.

The enemy ship aimed one of its guns at the _Rising Dawn_ and Mitsuro's eyes hardened. "Aim!" she barked. Terry Wilkson's voice echoed over the comm as one of the guns came about.

"_Yeah, whatever._" The gun locked onto the front of the incoming ship, and in the barrel, a ball of light began to form. It charged up and grew in size until it was filling the entire diameter of the barrel.

"FIRE!" Mitsuro roared.

The gun roared at the exact same instant, the recoil forcing the ship back somewhat before Antov got the engines at max. The magnetohydrodynamics whined as the revolutions reached incredibly high speeds. The ship was shuddering so much from the strain that she swore it would come apart at the seams.

But it didn't. The blue laser streaked away from the gun, arrowing in right toward the incoming warship. Mitsuro noticed the trajectory and smirked. This was in the bag.

Or so she thought.

The unknown warship fired its own guns all at once. Shells of different calibers streaked out from the enemy ship, each one exploding against the laser and canceling it out. Her eyes widened in shock and amazement. "WHAT?"

As if to mock her, the ship slowed for a moment. She gritted her teeth, knowing that this wasn't going to be that easy. She hesitated, watching as Tai's jet circled a few times, trying to get in a hit of his own. The enemy ship seemed to take no notice of the small plane, so that gave him the upper hand as he released a single missile from the racks underneath the wings. The projectile sped right for the enemy warship.

It hit.

The explosion had enough force to nearly send the small aircraft end over end. But Tai, Mitsuro had to admit, was fast on the reflexes. He used the jets underneath the vehicle to stop his spin and right himself.

As for the warship, it was dealt a major blow to the stern. Flames licked at it, melting some of the metal and scorching wires and any crew members that dared to venture out into that maelstrom of flame. The red-orange-yellow glow of the fire vastly threw the battle zone into visibility, chasing away the mist and giving the others good sight. It was amazing.

"Fire again!" Mitsuro screamed. She wasn't about to lose this one chance!

Terry fired without so much as a word. The laser homed in on the warship, striking it on the side and causing another explosion.

The hull of the other ship was undamaged, except for a small scuff mark. "_DAMN!_" Terry swore.

"What is that thing made of?" Mitsuro whispered.

"I don't know, and I don't want to find out!" Antov growled. He spun the steering wheel and the ship's stern thrusters turned, forcing the ship into a semi-circle.

There was a unique thing about the _Rising Dawn_. In addition to the bow and side thrusters, the stern thrusters could be used to turn the vessel in much sharper circles than normal vessels. This ability to make sharper turns than other vessels greatly reduced the turning radius that a ship normally required in order to turn, thus also reducing the chances of being hit by enemy fire.

The ship barely missed getting hit by a return shot from the enemy vessel. A missile streaked past them and exploded in the distance. Mitsuro glanced back and sighed with relief.

"All right. Aim the guns and let's give 'em a broadside that they'll never forget!" she said.

The _Rising Dawn_ was in a perfect position to take advantage of its position facing the enemy ship in a crosswise formation. The guns all rotated to face the enemy ship bearing down on them. "Charge up the guns!" Mitsuro said.

The gunners responded by charging up the beams in the barrels. But since there were only two, she also barked an order to the ship's AI. "JAS-1, charge up the remaining guns and aim at that incoming enemy ship!"

"_Guns charging now. Target locked. Preparations to fire commencing._"

Mitsuro hated that monotone voice, even if it did sound kind of male. She wished that the developers had at least attempted to make an actual AI instead of a mere computer program.

But she had to focus on the matter at hand right now.

"_Preparations to fire complete._"

"FIRE!" she screamed.

All guns roared at once. The lasers streaked away from the ship, the recoil nearly forcing the vessel under. Mitsuro struggled to stay upright as the beams arrowed in on the enemy vessel. She watched with a sense of dread that they may not do much damage or miss.

But to her immense relief, the beams impacted against the armored hull of the unknown warship. The vessel shuddered with the impact, followed by an explosion that put the other one to shame. She smirked. "Take that!" she muttered.

The only thing that caught her off guard was the shell that arced out of the smoke right for the bridge of her ship. She gasped. How could she have missed that?

The shell struck the bridge of her ship, exploding with enough force to make her ship shudder from the impact. The explosion tore open the sky, throwing her to the ground. Around her shrapnel clattered to the floor, and the groans of her crew reached her ears. She somehow knew that they were alive, and aside from a few injuries, were unharmed. She wasn't aware of the pain in her face until it cut across her left side, forcing her to grit her teeth. Her hand flew to the wound, probing it. Blood was oozing from a scratch that cut across her left eye. She could still feel the eyeball in its socket, which was a miracle, considering the damage from whatever had cut her.

Mitsuro pushed herself into a sitting position, using her right eye to assess the damage.

The bridge windows had been blown in by the force of the explosion, or so she thought. She glanced back, surprised to see that the shell had smashed through the rear wall and the rest of the ship without exploding. She could see all the way through to the stern.

"Talk about lucky…" she murmured.

"More than lucky," Antov groaned from near the helm. "It's a goddamn miracle that thing didn't explode when it did!"

"How's the rest of the bridge crew?" she asked as she helped him into a sitting position.

"They're all good from what I can see," the Russian said. "The worst off would be me, I'd say. I got a few broken ribs, but I'll live."

"Good. We need you to man the helm," Mitsuro said.

Antov nodded. "Right." He gritted his teeth against the pain and pushed himself into a standing position, relying on the helm to keep him upright.

She could tell he was in immense pain, but he was determined to see them through this hellhole to the end. She smiled and nodded before becoming serious again. She looked at the communications console and pressed the button, patching into Tai's communications set.

"Tai, try and drop a bomb on them! Bow first. And make it count!"

"_Right. But what about you guys? I'm surprised that shell didn't explode!_" Tai exclaimed.

"Forget about us. We're fine. Just bomb that ship and take down those guns!" Mitsuro ordered.

Tai was silent, but she somehow knew he was nodding. "_Right._"

She watched as his plane arrowed down right for the other ship.

* * *

Tai gritted his teeth as he homed in on the enemy warship. This was his one chance to take down that ship and he knew it. But he had no idea of the armor of the deck, or even if it was armored. However, he still had to try.

He armed a bomb and released it.

The shaped charge fell towards the bow, but he didn't stick around to see if it exploded or hit. He knew from the concussion waves that the bomb had hit its intended target. The enemy ship's bow was engulfed in flames as he banked around to examine it. He smirked as he patched into the destroyer's communications.

* * *

"_Tai here. The bomb struck. The bow guns are out of action!_" Tai exclaimed.

"Good work. Now get outta there. We're gonna finish this!" Mitsuro said.

"_Roger._" The jet banked around and sped overhead less than thirty seconds later. She watched this for a moment before she turned and faced the enemy ship. The bow was ablaze with flame, the orange glow adding to the already overwhelming fire raging on the stern. But somehow the ship kept steaming at them.

Mitsuro turned to face Antov. "Starboard thirty, full throttle!" she snapped.

Antov nodded and dialed up the engine room. The engineering crew received the message and a few seconds later, the ship's advanced engines rumbled into action, throwing them into a turn to the right, a surprisingly sharp turn for such a large vessel.

"Arm the guns!" she yelled.

The gunners on the bow manning the conventional guns did as she ordered, to her immense surprise. She wiped some of the blood oozing from her slashed face away from her other eye and continued to bark out orders as the guns aimed and fired a few seconds later. The recoil wasn't as strong as with the lasers, so the ship didn't heel over as far. But it was still significant.

The shells shrieked through the air, striking the enemy warship's superstructure, knocking off several of the spikes on the side and blowing out a few of the windows. Glass shards sparkled in the light from the flames on both bow and stern, resembling mirror pieces. Mitsuro thought it looked beautiful in its own way, but she forced it from her mind.

"C'mon about and fire again!" she said.

Antov obeyed the order and the gunners fired again in sync, striking the bow and sending an anchor fluke sky high. The anchor smashed into the water and sank a few meters away from the ship, trailing the chain. Mitsuro noticed that the enemy warship was suddenly swarming with figures that came bursting out of doors and passageways. She realized at that point that it had a crew, and that the crew seemed human.

In fact, they _were_ human!

She gasped in shock. Humans? Here in this unknown realm? Was it even real? And possible?

The crew was frantically trying to sever the anchor chain, which was now as taught as a cable and the bow of the enemy ship was beginning to sink. This led her to the conclusion that the anchors were uncommonly heavy for a ship like that, and if the chains were taught…

An idea formed in her mind. She turned to Antov. "Bring us about to the other side of the ship!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Antov replied.

Mitsuro then opened the entire communications network for the entire ship and activated the radio for Tai's jet. "All right, everyone. This is it. We're gonna bring that ship down, even if it takes us our lives to do it! When we do take it out, then we're outta this place and back where we belong: on good ol' Planet Earth! So I want everyone to trust me on this one!"

With that, she closed it down and turned back to the other ship.

Antov brought the _Rising Dawn_ around to the other side of the enemy ship. The stern was by this time partly out of the water on the right side, exposing one propeller that beat at the water and air both, almost like the other ship was clawing in a desperate attempt to stay alive. The gunners aimed and fired again at the other anchor fluke. The result was the same.

Less than five minutes later, the ship was practically on its bow, the stern raised up at a forty degree angle. The crew was trying desperately now to free their ship, which Mitsuro watched in silence.

The anticipation was tense as the enemy warship began to sink. Everyone was tense as they watched the bow sink out of sight, the flames becoming nothing more than steam upon contact with the water.

The steam clouded their view of the enemy ship, so they didn't see what they should have seen: the crew of the other vessel had cut through the chains that were dragging them down. But a loud splash could be heard.

On hearing this, Mitsuro felt dread form in the pit of her stomach. '_Please no…_' she thought.

To the dismay of the crew of the _Rising Dawn_, the enemy vessel emerged from the smoke. The bow was steaming thickly as the fire on the stern continued to rage. Mitsuro was now confused. Shouldn't the fuel tanks have gone off by now? But then an answer formed in her mind. She didn't know why.

The doors leading to the engine room been shut and sealed.

She gritted her teeth. '_If that's how it's gonna be, then we may as well go all out!_' she thought. The entire crew seemed to sense her determination and they nodded in agreement.

The ship's advanced engines revved up and it streaked right back into the fray, the gunners bringing the weapons to bear on the enemy vessel. The enemy ship's weapons swung about and locked on. Both ships practically bristled as they kept their armaments at the ready. When the two had closed to within thirty meters, Mitsuro barked out the orders. "Fire all guns and hard to starboard thirty!"

Antov and the gunners complied. As the guns let loose their rounds and lasers, he swung the ship around using the thrusters and the momentum from the destroyer's engines. The lasers tore through the mist like blue lances of light and the fire from the discharging shells resembled fireworks in the dim light. Behind the ship, the wake was a very light gray color.

The enemy vessel responded in kind with a devastating barrage of its own. Dark purple lasers and shells fired in a massive salvo that would have decimated an entire naval fleet, but due to the speed and agility of the smaller destroyer, they were able to avoid harm. The crew of the unnamed warship screamed as several shells homed in on them and exploded, backed up by the machine guns of Tai's Harrier jet.

The superstructure became riddled with bullet holes and a few fires sparked into life on the bridge. Mitsuro watched in brief fascination for a moment before she snapped out another set of orders. "Missile launchers, fire! Helm, port forty!"

The ship swung about to port just as the stern missile launcher released a destructive salvo of its own. The warheads arced through the air right for the unknown warship. A few exploded against the hull, throwing the sinister ship to port and creating a few cracks in the armor plating. Mitsuro saw this and an idea formed.

"All weapons! Fire at the cracked side of the warship! I don't care how long it takes. Just do it!" she yelled.

Now, it seemed as if everyone were working in harmony with each other. It was as if they were a well-oiled machine. This was the chance she had. They would do this and get out alive.

Antov seemed to sense what everyone else was thinking. He juked and jerked the ship's controls, sending the destroyer into an intricate dance of life and death with the enemy warship. The explosions of shells and colliding lasers took on the aspect of an orchestra, and the two captains were the conductors. The symphony of war played out on that dark, dank sea, but as it drew on, the music of combat changed to favor the US Navy destroyer.

It had taken thirty full minutes to deal massive amounts of damage to the enemy warship, but in that same time frame, the _USS Rising Dawn_ had also received damage. The bow was battered and one of the anchors was missing, plus the sides were scratched and dinged from dud shells, scorch marks visible from when lasers exploded too close for comfort.

Mitsuro's wound had long since healed, but she didn't even dare open her left eye for she risked opening the wound in combat. She needed to be able to see later. So in the interim, she had it bandaged by the medical officer. "All right. That's it," Halley Edison said. She put the last of the medical supplies away. "Now, be careful."

Mitsuro nodded. "All right." She turned back to the communications station and picked up the mike. "FIRE WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!" she screamed into it. "Take that ship down now!"

It took mere seconds, but it seemed longer. The ship's guns roared in one last barrage, the full impact of the assault striking the hearts of the enemy crew and sending them scrambling into the sea. It was also that same time in which the enemy ship's fuel stores finally blew.

And then they knew nothing more.

* * *

"…ke…p!"

"Unh…" Mitsuro stirred, hearing voices.

"…ke up! Wake up!"

She pried open her eyes, or rather, her right eye because she could feel bandages on her left eye. She reached up to touch them and fingered them in shock. What had happened?

She lowered her hand and was surprised to see Antov and the entire crew of her ship gathered around her. "You okay?" Antov asked.

"Yeah," she murmured, nodding. "What happened?"

"We won the naval battle," he said.

"Naval battle…?" She suddenly jerked upright off the makeshift bed as memories came back to her. The fight, the unknown warship, Tai launching in his jet…

She scrambled to her feet and ran over to the bridge wing, peering out at the stern. Tai's Harrier jet was strapped down. The sun was shining down, so she could see the waves lapping against the hull of her ship.

"We're back home…" she whispered.

Mitsuro couldn't believe it. They had won against an unknown warship and survived. But…had she earned her crew's respect?

She turned back to face them. "Well, we made it home," she said warily.

For a moment, it seemed like she had failed, but then…

Cheers broke out on the bridge. Mitsuro was shocked when they came over and patted her on the back and shoulders. It wasn't mean or anything. Instead, it was more like camaraderie. Then it struck her. She had indeed earned their respect. Or…they had earned her respect. It was hard to tell then. But all she knew was that she had finally gotten integrated into the ship's crew as their leader.

And to her, that was worth more than anything.


	6. Mitsuro Meets Sora

_Mitsuro and Sora meet for the first time. But Sora despises Duel Academy students, so Mitsuro challenges him to a duel. But with his special talent, can she win this duel, or will she be kicked out of the armed forces?_

* * *

**Chapter 6: Mitsuro Meets Sora**

Mitsuro moaned in her sleep, tossing and turning. She was in the midst of having a nightmare, a recent thing that had started happening after she and her crew had returned from that unknown realm. Sweat coated her skin as she suddenly snapped awake, her green eyes flying open. She sat up abruptly in bed, her hand flying to her left eye and fingering the scar she had received in that fight.

She sighed with relief and looked around her room. "It was just a dream…" she whispered. "But it felt so real…"

She removed her hand from the scar, looking around. Everything was just as it usually was. Her Duel Disk lay on her desk, her uniform neatly laid out on her dresser, and her service pistol lying beside her uniform. She glanced at the clock, noting that it was only five after seven. She slipped out of bed and walked over to the window, pulling open the shades and letting in the morning sunlight.

As she got ready, thoughts of the naval battle and that unusual realm shifted through her mind. She wanted to know where they had wound up and why they had gone there. Plus, who had been in command of that warship they sunk? Did it have to do with her brother's disappearance, and Tai's brother's violent behavior? And why were there _humans_ there?

And was this connected in any way to the unusual events that happened at Duel Academy during the last year? If so, how was it connected?

She finished getting ready and after breakfast, holding her Duel Disk in one hand, headed out.

The sun was shining down brightly, but every now and then a few clouds drifted past and momentarily concealed the sun. Mitsuro glanced up at the sky, reflecting back on her brother.

_YGXYGXYGX-Flashback-YGXYGXYGX_

_Jason smiled as he winked at her, holding out a card and laying it down on the table. "All right, little sis. Let's see if you can win against me now," he teased._

_Ten-year-old Mitsuro looked down at her hand, her green eyes flicking over some of the cards. "Let's see…" She picked out a card and set it down. "I'll set a card face down and end my turn."_

_Jason smirked. "All right." He grabbed one of his own facedown monsters and flipped it up. "I reveal my facedown card, Shining Angel. So now I'll attack your facedown card."_

_Mitsuro smiled. "I don't think so! My facedown card is revealed to be Mystical Elf! And you lose six hundred points!"_

_He put on a look of shock and horror. "I lost? I can't believe it." He sighed dramatically and shook his head. "I guess you win this duel."_

_She grinned. "All right! I did it! It took me about a hundred tries, but I did it!" she exclaimed as she leapt up, sending her cards scattering in the air._

_Jason laughed. "I'm surprised you knew what I was thinking that time. You're getting better."_

_Mitsuro turned to him and struck a pose, holding out one of her hands in the peace sign, and the other placed on her hip. "Yeah!"_

_He burst into laughter at her pose._

_YGXYGXYGX_

_The older man grunted as he threw up an arm to block the holographic dust. His Duel Disk showed his life points drop to 200, and Jason growled._

"_Damnit!" he muttered._

"_So, Jason? Now what'll you do?" his opponent asked._

"_I'll tell ya what I'll do! It's my draw!" Jason roared. He swiftly drew a card from his deck and glanced at it before a smirk formed on his face. "And I summon out Z Dragon Head!" He slapped his card down and a red mechanical beast appeared on the field. "Now that I have all five cards out, I can summon out one of the most powerful cards in my deck!"_

_He reached into his hand and withdrew one card. "So c'mon out, VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon!" he screamed. He slapped it down on his Duel Disk and in a flash, the five monsters merged into one. Jason grinned as the combined form loomed over his opponent. "Now what'll _you_ do, Bernstein?"_

_The other man gaped in shock before Jason spoke. "And, due to my monster's special ability, I can remove any card on the field from play without a price!"_

_His eyes widened as Jason pointed a finger at his Gate Guardian. "And I choose to remove from play Gate Guardian!"_

_The three-colored monster began to glow golden as the mechanical warrior's guns glowed and fired, sending bright beams of light at the creature. The beams struck, causing the Gate Guardian to explode upon contact._

"_That means that I can attack you directly now!" Jason said with a grin._

_Mitsuro watched this in awe. Her brother's deck was _amazing_! It was so powerful…_

_YGXYGXYGX_

_Mitsuro ran at her brother and embraced him. "Bro, why?" she asked. "Why do you have to go out so soon?"_

"_I'm sorry, but I have to do this," he murmured as he hugged her. "That ship's been preying on container ships, tankers, freighters, and cargo ships alike. We need to try and stop that thing before anyone else loses their life or anything else."_

"_But why not have someone else do it?" Mitsuro asked, burying her face in his chest._

"_I'm sorry. But there's no one else that can," Jason whispered._

"_But what if something happens to you!" she cried._

_John and Serene watched this with looks of worry and concern as well, but then again, who wouldn't be worried? "Mitsuro, nothing bad will happen to him," John told her._

"_I don't believe it!" Mitsuro spat. "Something bad will happen! I know it!"_

_Jason bit his lower lip for a moment. He looked at his parents. "Mom, Dad, I can't guarantee that I'll be safe. You both know the risks of this duty, but I have to do this. People are counting on us to help them, especially since the crisis in the Mideast is getting worse. We need to be there, and we will be, to help people get the supplies and care that they need._

"_Every day is not without risk. But we do this to ensure that freedom and democracy can be spread to every part of the globe one day. It's our mission, and our ideals. So we are going out to try and help another convoy get through. If this goes through, then our position in the Mideast will be secure for another ten years."_

"_I understand, but try telling that to Mitsuro," Serene said as she motioned to the twelve-year-old sobbing into his chest._

_He nodded._

_He looked down and lifted her head so that her tear-streaked face met his. "Mitsuro, listen. I can't guarantee my own safety, but I'll do my best to stay safe."_

"_You promise?" she asked._

_Jason nodded. "Yes. I promise. And…when I come back, who knows? Maybe I'll give you a present."_

_Her eyes brightened a little. "You mean that?"_

_He smiled. "Yeah. C'mere." He grabbed her and hugged her tightly._

_She smiled, not knowing that this was the last time she would see him alive._

_YGXYGXYG-End Flashback-YGXYGXYGX_

She sighed as she looked back down at the ground. "Jason…"

The sound of a car's engine reached her ears and she looked up, noticing a Jeep coming down the street. She turned and faced the direction from which it was coming.

It took five minutes before the Jeep reached her. The driver looked at her. "Commander, would you come with me?"

She nodded. "Sure."

She slipped her deck into its holder and, still carrying her Duel Disk, slid into the vehicle.

* * *

It took them about an hour to reach the airport at San Diego from the base. After they parked the Jeep and entered the terminal, Mitsuro glanced at the man beside her, a Marine named Jackson Wellington.

"All right. What's going on?" she asked.

"A student from the Themelic Pantheon has arrived to take part in the tournament," Jackson said. "I thought it would be a good idea for you to see him in person in order to get an idea of what he's like before the tournament began."

"Good idea," Mitsuro said. If there was a student from the new dueling school, then there had to be a good reason for that person to be here. She slipped her deck from its holder and slid it into her Duel Disk. She followed Jackson into the airport terminal and adjusted her uniform as she walked. The sun was shining in through the windows and people came and went from the gates to their next flight. She noticed a few foreign duelists, but she didn't even stop to have a duel.

The duo made their way through the busy airport until they spotted a young man with blue eyes and carrying what appeared to be a huge key in his left hand.

As he came closer, Mitsuro noticed that he was muscular in build and had sandy-blonde hair. His eyes were sky blue and he was dressed in a white T-shirt and red vest with blue jean shorts and yellow and white sneakers. His shoulders were broad and he had a nice looking face, accented by his movie-star jaw. He seemed to notice her and looked in her direction.

She said nothing as he approached, holding the key-shaped Duel Disk in his hand.

"Are you here for the tournament?" Jackson asked him.

The young man nodded. "Yes, I am, sir," he said in an accented voice. Mitsuro pegged him as being from Japan. Being on a naval base for most of her life had sharpened her ear for detecting accents and figuring out where the person had come from based on their accent.

"I am most pleasured to be in this tournament," he said. "I always am looking for opportunities to show my dueling prowess to the world."

"I bet," Mitsuro scoffed.

"And you, miss? Are you in the tournament?" the young man asked.

Mitsuro nodded. "Yes, I am. I'm sorry for sounding rude, but who are you?" she asked.

The young man smiled. "My name is Sora Mikano."

"I am Commander Mitsuro Itachu," she said, introducing herself.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Commander," Sora replied, holding out a hand and bowing.

She made a face, but shook his hand nonetheless. "Yeah. Sure. Look, Sora, the tournament doesn't start for another week. Why show up early?" she asked.

"To try and improve my skill," he said.

Mitsuro looked at Jackson who just shrugged. She turned back to face him. "Okay. Well, I bet we'll face each other in the tournament," she said.

"I sure hope so," Sora said. But she detected a hint of eagerness in his voice. Something in her mind went off, almost like a sensor had detected something off. She merely nodded.

He looked her up and down, noticing her curves and form. "Wow. You are sure an attractive young woman," he said.

Mitsuro's eyes widened and she felt her face flush. "Y-You think so?" she stammered.

Sora nodded. "Yes. Why would someone as attractive as you be in the military?" he asked. "It seems an unfit occupation for you. You'd do much better in the modeling industry."

That sparked a nerve. She stepped close to him. "Listen, Sora. I'm not some woman who will model for others, let alone do housework. I'm in the Navy because I chose to do this as a career. And it's also because I want to serve my country!" she snapped.

"I'm just saying. I'm not trying to disrespect your choice," Sora admitted. "All I'm saying is that you _would_ do much better as a model. I'm not saying you _should_ do it. Like I said, it's your choice. Not mine." He smiled. "Besides, you still look good, even in a military uniform. It really brings out your eyes."

She blushed, but then she shook her head and returned to the matter at hand. "Are you a student at the Themelic Pantheon, Sora?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes. I am indeed a student at the Pantheon." Then he tilted his head. "What about you? Where did you go to school for dueling?"

"Duel Academy," she said simply.

That triggered something. His eyes narrowed. "Duel Academy? You mean that freak house of a school that is attracted to supernatural events?"

She nodded. "Yes, why?"

"Why would you go to such a school to learn Duel Monsters?" he asked her.

"It's the most prestigious dueling school in the world," Mitsuro explained. "It's also famous for that unusual activity, so it actually attracts a pretty substantial number of students. Don't think that it's not a good school, because even if there are some parts in its history that are unusual, its reputation has been added to because of that!"

"So, you still went even if you risked being lost?" Sora asked.

Mitsuro nodded. "Yes. But thankfully, I didn't get lost!" she said.

"Well, it just so happens that Duel Academy duelists have no idea on how to actually _win_ a duel," Sora told her, crossing his muscled arms across his chest. "_Winning_ a duel is much different than simply winning a duel. You have to use what abilities you have to _win_ a duel, rather than just win."

"So you think you're better than me?" Mitsuro hissed, sensing a confrontation coming.

"Actually, I don't think that at all. I _know_ I'm better than you!" he said with a sneer.

Mitsuro snarled as she held up her Duel Disk. "Then why don't you prove it? Or are you going to chicken out?" she snapped.

Sora's eyes flashed as he hefted his own Duel Disk. "I'm not a chicken, and I shall prove how good I am!"

"All right. Let's get to it!" Mitsuro hissed.

Sora smirked. He held up his Duel Disk and slapped the hilt of the key-shaped dueling apparatus on his left forearm. A couple clamps closed over his forearm and the silver part extended before an arm swung it down and retracted it back to the lower part. The dueling slots flashed as the holographic projectors kicked on. Sora whipped his deck out from its holder and slid it into the slot.

Mitsuro thrust her arm into her Duel Disk's gauntlet and she held it up just as the numbers on the front began to glow with multicolored light. The numbers flared brightly as she brought it down and held it out in front of her, showing Sora what it looked like.

He blinked. "Is that a Duel Disk, or a destroyer?"

"My father gave me this!" she hissed. "And now it's time to test it out!"

"Fine! I go first!" Sora said. "My draw!" He grabbed the top card of his deck and drew. He smirked. "And I summon to the field Heartless Shadow (1/500/600)!" A black blob appeared on the field before it began to surface and it materialized into a creature not much bigger than a dog. But it had two antennae and yellow eyes. "Then I'll set a card facedown and end my turn!" A facedown card appeared on the tiled floor.

Mitsuro's eyes widened for a brief moment. "Heartless Shadow…" she murmured. Then it clicked. "You like _Kingdom Hearts_, don't you?" she asked.

Sora grinned. "Yes, I do. I am an avid fan of the series."

"Whatever," Mitsuro muttered. "My move!" She drew her own card and slipped it into her hand. She scanned her cards briefly before she snatched one of the cards and slapped it down. "I set one card facedown and set one monster in defense mode!" The cards appeared on her field. "I end my turn!"

Mitsuro: 8000 Sora: 8000

Mitsuro watched him as he drew. '_Okay. If he's got a _Kingdom Hearts_-based deck, then I have to be careful!_' she thought.

Her teeth clenched as he smiled. "My turn. I summon another Heartless Shadow (1/500/600) to the field. And for each Heartless on the field, Heartless Shadow gets to attack. So since there are two Shadows out, they can attack twice each! And I choose to attack your facedown card!" Sora cried. He waved a hand and the creatures lunged for the facedown card.

Mitsuro smirked. "Nice try!" she said.

The card flipped face-up to reveal her facedown monster. "Patrol Boat (4/1400/1300) is revealed!" she said. The naval vessel's guns armed and fired, the shells slamming into the Shadows and forcing them back. Sora scowled.

"Fine! I set one card facedown and end my turn!"

Mitsuro: 8000 Sora: 8000 – 800 = 7200

"Plus, Patrol Boat has an effect. Once it's been flipped-summoned, I can look at all facedown cards on the field!" Mitsuro said. "So, go ahead! Activate!" Her ship fired a radar beam and scanned the facedown cards, transmitting data to her Duel Disk just as they flipped up.

On her Duel Disk, a screen popped up, surprising her, and revealing the facedown cards on it. She noticed that both of Sora's facedown cards were Trap cards. She read the names and effects, committing them to memory for future duels. The screen closed down and the cards returned to facedown positions.

"My turn now!" she said. She drew one card and slipped it into her hand. "I place one card facedown and I summon to the field Helicopter Support Squad (4/1300/1200)!" Around her, three dozen helicopters materialized, hovering in place, their guns aimed at the Heartless on Sora's field. "Now, my aerial support can launch an attack right at your Heartless Shadows!" The guns on the copters fired all at once, the bullets stitching a path towards Sora's field.

He smirked. "I play Goofy's Shield!" he said. A shield appeared in front of the Heartless and shielded them from the bullets. Mitsuro scowled. "This cancels out your attack and negates all damage that I would have received. Plus, I can use this card once per turn."

The shield vanished as his card returned to facedown position. Mitsuro scoffed. "I kinda figured that would be the case. So I'll end my turn." The helicopters returned to her field and hovered in the air above her ship.

Sora sneered. "Now, I sacrifice the two Heartless Shadows to summon out the Large Body Heartless (5/1500/2000)!" he said, placing the card down on his Duel Disk. The two Shadows seemed to merge together and grow in size until they were larger than before. The new Heartless had two large arms and legs, and it wore a red vest. On its chest was a huge black heart. "Now I attack your Patrol Boat and sink it!" he cried.

Mitsuro sneered in response to his attack. "I don't think so!" she said. "You see, whenever one of my cards is attacked, I can switch the attack to my Helicopter Support Squad, keeping it safe!" As if on her orders, the helicopters flew towards the incoming Heartless, each one exploding and forcing it back as well.

Sora scowled. "Fine. I end my turn."

Mitsuro: 8000 – 200 = 7800 Sora: 7200

She drew her card and looked at her hand. She slipped one card onto the field. "I place one monster facedown and end my turn." She watched him warily. '_That Trap card of his means I can't attack. And that Heartless is stronger than my Patrol Boat. But thankfully with my facedown monster I'll be able to call out some extra backup!_' she thought.

Sora drew a card and smirked. "I summon out to the field Heartless Soldier (3/1200/1500)!" A Heartless wearing armor appeared on his field. "Also, I can attack directly with him!" The Soldier lunged for Mitsuro, forcing her to throw up an arm as its foot made contact with her Duel Disk. "Then I end my turn."

Mitsuro: 7800 – 1200 = 6600 Sora: 7200

She glanced at her Life Points. '_Damn! He took out a good chunk of my Life Points. I'm gonna need to be more careful._' She drew her card and smirked. "All right! I give up my facedown card in order to summon out Destroyer Class-USS Defender (5/2400/2400)!" A sleek, white vessel armed with defensive weapons sailed out onto her field. It resembled an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, right down to the weapons. "Plus, I switch Patrol Boat to attack mode. Now Defender can begin the assault!" The guns on her Patrol Boat swung about just as Defender's guns roared, slamming into the massive Heartless and exploding it. Sora threw up an arm just as holographic dust filled their dueling space.

By now a few people were watching, but considering how that there were some duels going on for travelers to pass the time, it wasn't that big a crowd. But it was still pretty substantial.

Mitsuro smirked. "Now Patrol Boat can attack your Heartless Soldier and reduce it to dust!" The guns on her other ship fired, hitting the Soldier and causing it to explode. Sora frowned in anger as she ended her turn.

Mitsuro: 6600 Sora: 7200 – 900 – 200 = 6100

He drew and a smirk appeared on his face. "I don't think that they'll be staying gone for long," he purred. "Because I activate the Trap Card Heartless Return!" The two destroyed Heartless appeared back on the field in dark mist. Mitsuro scowled, but said nothing. "However, they won't stay for ling, because now I sacrifice them both to activate Riku's Blade!"

Her eyes widened as a sinister blade appeared on his field. The Heartless were absorbed into the blade and a dark mist appeared behind it. "This Spell Card allows me to summon out Riku-Warrior of the Darkness (8/3200/2500)!" Sora cried. On his field, a human figure appeared from the mist, revealing a muscular man with blue hair and dressed in a black robe. A black piece of cloth was tied around his eyes. He grabbed the blade and held it in his hand. "Now I can attack your little ship and send it to the bottom of the sea!"

Riku lunged for her destroyer, but she simply smiled. "I don't think so!" His blade plunged into her ship's hull, but it didn't go down. "Defender isn't destroyed by any card with 3000 or more attack points!"

"But you still take damage!" Sora countered.

She still kept smiling. "True… But maybe not for long."

He smirked in response. '_We'll see about that!_' he purred to himself.

Mitsuro: 6600 – 800 = 5800 Sora: 6100

"All right! My turn!" Mitsuro cried. She drew and glanced at her hand. '_All right! Now here comes the good part!_' "I sacrifice my Patrol Boat in order to summon out Destroyer Class-USS Liberty (5/2000/2300!" Her smaller vessel faded as a sleek, copper greenish vessel sailed out onto the field. The guns were fewer in number, but it was still formidable in its own way. "And with that, I'll set one card facedown."

"All right. My draw!" Sora hissed. He frowned when he saw his card, but said nothing about it. "I summon out Heartless Shadow (1/500/600)!"

'_A third Shadow. Better be ready._' Mitsuro thought.

Sora smiled as he placed one card from his hand onto the field. "I activate Firaga!" But before the card could activate, Liberty fired its guns, sending the shells through the card and causing it to explode. Sora gaped in shock. "What just happened?" he cried.

Mitsuro chuckled. "Liberty prevents any Traps and Spells from being activated for two turns. Meaning your Spell is destroyed."

Sora scowled. "I end my turn!"

"Finally! Now I'll summon out Helicopter Support Squad from my hand!" she said. Again, helicopters filled her field. '_Hopefully, this will work,_' she thought, She glanced at her hand, right at one of the cards. '_Or else I won't be able to summon out the heavy artillery._' Her gaze returned to Sora who smirked at her. '_I hate to admit it, but he's good. Barely three turns in he wiped out a good chunk of my life points. But at least I was able to inflict some good damage myself._' Her eyes locked onto her facedown cards. '_Hopefully, I'll be able to turn this thing around, or else I'll be made a fool of. I can't let that happen!_' Her gaze returned to Sora's. "I end my turn!"

"Perfect. Now it's my turn!" he said. Sora drew and frowned. He glanced down at his hand and scowled. She noticed this and she suddenly tensed.

'_Does he only have Spell and Traps?'_ she wondered.

"I end my turn with a facedown card." The card appeared on his field.

"No attacks? Are you a wimp or what?" Mitsuro remarked.

"I am far from being a wimp," Sora said confidently. "And I shall show you why!"

"When? Never?" she hissed as her eyes narrowed.

"Hah! As if. I shall show you. But right now, make your move!"

Mitsuro scoffed, but she grabbed the top of her deck and drew. Her eyes flicked over her hand and she smiled. "Now that Liberty's effect has worn off, I activate Resupply! We each draw until we gave five cards in our hands!" She drew her cards and smiled even more. "Perfect!" she murmured.

But Sora sneered as he drew. His hand was also perfect. And he knew how he was going to win the duel.

"Now I summon out Submarine-Ohio Class!" She slapped the card down and the submarine's body appeared, as if it were surfacing from the tile. "Now, I'll end my turn."

She knew she was taking a risk, but if her plan worked, then it would be well worth it. She waited, but then she blinked as Sora burst out laughing. "Sorry, Mitsuro, but it appears that I shall be the victor here!"

"How so?" she asked.

"Just watch!" he said. He drew his next card swiftly, and he smiled. "I summon out Red Nocturne 93/1500/1200)!" A small red Heartless appeared on his field. Mitsuro tensed. "Next, I activate the Spell Card Keyblade's Summoning! By giving up the Heartless on my field, I can summon out to the field Sora-The Keyblade Wielder (8/3500/4000)!" The Heartless vanished as a bright light overwhelmed the field and forced Mitsuro to shield her eyes with her arm. The light faded and she lowered her arm, only to stare in shock at the boy standing on his side of the field. He was a lot like Sora, but the only difference was the clothing. His shoes were much larger and he carried an actual Keyblade in his hands.

"Now, I have my two most powerful cards out," Sora remarked. "But thankfully I can't attack this turn. I'll end my turn."

Mitsuro bit her lip, but she glanced at her deck. "Time to do this!" she murmured.

She drew.

Sora smirked, and then it happened.

A strange feeling filled her brain, almost as if something was trying to penetrate into her mind. It felt like someone was trying to enter her mind and see through her eyes…

She gasped. _Someone was reading her mind!_

Mitsuro closed her eyes. '_NO!'_ she thought. '_I can't let whoever's doing this see my hand! Or else my strategy is lost!_'

* * *

Sora frowned. She was fast, he had to admit. But, her efforts were useless. She had to be able to see her cards. And unless she had some kind of secret weapon, her defeat was assured.

* * *

Mitsuro gritted her teeth as she collapsed to the ground, clutching her temples with her hands. She couldn't let this unknown person see into her mind. She tried to erect a wall, but it was useless. The unknown presence merely broke it down.

"I have to figure out who's behind this!" she whispered. But as long as the person was trying to read her mind, she couldn't back trace the signal. She needed to force the person out, or at least block him or her.

'_C'mon, Mitsuro! You can do this!_' she thought.

But so far her efforts weren't working. Every time she erected a wall, it was broken down by the unknown reader.

"No…I can't!" she murmured, her voice becoming hoarse. "I can't lose! I just can't!"

If she lost a duel right here in front of the airport's travelers, and in front of Jackson, then she would prove a myth about the US military wrong: that they were good duelists…and she would lose her commission. She would be discharged, and she would lose her one chance to find her brother.

Her brother…

"Jason…"

Memories filled her mind and she realized that this was more than just a duel. It was a chance to show that she had what it took. If she backed down now, then she would never get a chance to find him. And that wasn't about to happen.

"I…I won't lose this duel!" she whispered. "I have to win this one!"

She closed her eyes and relaxed, clearing her mind of all thoughts relating to the duel at hand. Now she could detect a signal, all right. She focused on that signal, trying to back trace it to its source. She touched the signal's trail and followed it back to…

'_SORA? He's reading my mind?_' Her eyes snapped open at the realization. Now she knew what he meant by _winning_ a duel.

"Sorry, Sora! But you're not gonna read this mind!" she murmured, letting her will focus on the signal, but instead of erecting a wall to block it, she did the complete opposite. She visualized an assault fleet locking onto an enemy air force. The mental fleet fired its antiaircraft guns, hitting the enemy planes and sending them crashing into the ocean farther away from the coast.

* * *

Sora's eyes widened as he felt his link to her mind terminate. He staggered back, clutching at his head. "AH!" He hissed as he glared at her. How had she been able to do that? No one had successfully blocked his attempts at reading their minds! _NO ONE!_ It was unheard of!

His handsome face twisted into a snarl as he glared at her.

* * *

She watched his face as it twisted into a snarl. "How…How did you do that!" he hissed. "No one has ever stopped me!"

"Well, there's a first time for everything," Mitsuro said as she stood up. She calmly adjusted her uniform and smirked. "Let's just say that I have a really strong will, and a desire I want to carry out! I won't let you win this duel!" she said.

"Fine!" Sora spat.

Mitsuro smirked as she looked at her cards. "Now then, I play Destroyer Class-USS Guardian (6/-1200/-1250)!" A sleek, blue destroyer sailed onto her field, but with half its normal attack force. It resembled the other two ships in shape and design, but the color was different. "You see, if I don't sacrifice any cards, I can summon this card out, but then its points get cut in half. But when I have all three out, then I can summon out another card, but that's for much later. So I'll end my turn."

Sora snarled as he drew. "DRAW!" He slapped one card down. "Now I'll have my namesake attack your little Guardian ship!" The boy on his field lunged, his Keyblade flashing in the light of the airport. As he neared her ship, Mitsuro smirked.

"Activate Defensive Covering Fire!" she cried. Almost instantly, thirty holographic guns appeared on the field, fifteen per side. The guns on her side opened fire on Sora, slamming into the ground and forcing him back to the other side of the dueling field, right behind her opponent's defensive lines. "Sorry, Sora! But this card prevents _any_ monsters from attacking for three of your turns! Meaning that you can't destroy USS Guardian for three turns!"

'_And it will give me time to summon out the heavy firepower,_' she thought as she glanced at her deck. '_That is, if I can draw it._'

"I end my turn."

Sora snarled in frustration. He drew, but then he smirked. "At least I can still play Spells!" he said. "I activate Firaga!"

Fire suddenly leapt from his Duel Disk to hers and she yelped, batting at the holographic flames. Her life points dropped at that point, startling her. "Huh?"

She glanced at Sora, who sniggered. "Firaga reduces your life points by 500 this turn per every Spell you have on the field. So I'll end my turn with that."

Mitsuro: 5800 – 1500 = 4300 Sora: 6100

"All right. My move!" Mitsuro drew and she frowned. '_Not what I need! Damn! How much harder can this duel get!_' she thought.

"End turn."

She watched as Sora drew. The way he sneered at her made her shiver. "Now, I activate Keyblade Upgrade!" The boy's Keyblade glowed bright golden before it faded to reveal a new Keyblade. "This card increases Sora's attack points by 500, meaning you're outmatched. But I'll end my turn. I want to see if you can win this duel."

"Fine!" Mitsuro spat. She drew and glanced at her card. Again, it was not what she needed. "Damn!" she muttered. She slipped it into her hand, and discarded one of her other cards. "I end my turn."

Sora smirked as he drew. He placed the card in his hand and he waved an arm. "Sora, attack her directly!"

Mitsuro's eyes widened. "What! But Defensive Covering Fire prevents all types of attack!" she protested.

"Not if I pay 2000 life points!" Sora laughed. "This effect allows Sora to attack directly, regardless of whatever Spell or Trap cards you have out to try and block me!"

The guns on her side of the field began to open fire on Sora, but he dodged and jumped to the side, avoiding the heavy shells and occasionally slashing some of them. He leapt over the guns and slashed at her, causing her to block with her Duel Disk again. Sora leapt back to his side of the field and Sora Mikano laughed.

Mitsuro: 4300 – 4000 = 300 Sora: 6100 – 2000 = 4100

"Nice try!"

She grunted as she looked at her life points. She heard him say "I end my turn", but she didn't pay any attention. Her entire being was focused on those three numbers.

'_300 life points… One more attack and I lose this duel, and my only chance at finding Jason. I can't lose. I have to win!_' she thought, closing her eyes as tears pricked at the corners of them. '_Yugi Muto said to believe in your deck. But so far, my deck's let me down! I want to find Jason and see him again! Please… Heart of the Cards… don't let me down! Please! I'm begging you!_' She reached out a hand and grasped the top card. "Jason… I'm coming for you!" she cried, drawing her card.

Her heart was pounding with nervousness as she turned it over. She opened her eyes, expecting the worst, but what she saw made her heart leap with joy. '_ALL RIGHT!_' she thought excitedly. A smile spread across her lips. '_I knew that my deck wouldn't let me down!_' She turned to face Sora with that smile on her face.

"Sora, this time the tables have turned!" she said. "I'd like to introduce you to someone. An old friend that's been with me since I first received this deck."

"Who is this friend of yours? And how can that friend help you win?" Sora asked nonchalantly.

"This is how!" Mitsuro cried. "I remove from play USS Guardian, USS Liberty, and USS Defender in order to summon out a better, more powerful ship!" She slapped it down on her Duel Disk, right on top of the numbers. "Get ready, Sora, to face the ultimate ship in my armada!"

The three destroyers on her field began to glow brightly, golden light overwhelming them. Each one split into separate parts, the parts merging and becoming larger in size. Those parts that didn't fit into the merging process faded into the light and became armor plating. The guns of each ship fused into more powerful guns and the superstructure became sleeker. "C'mon out!" she yelled. She removed her hand from the card and threw her arms and head back as the light on her field shattered to reveal her new destroyer. "USS LIBERATION (10/3400/3500)!" The new destroyer was sleeker and more powerful than the others had been. The superstructure was white with a red top and the plating on the hull was a bright white with a blue bottom hull. The guns were located fore and aft with some on the sides of the deck. On the rear jack staff flew an American flag.

Sora smirked. "So? Your little ship can't destroy my cards," he said. "And I still have 4100 life points when you have only 300 points left."

Mitsuro laughed. "I don't think so. My ship has a unique ability, but first, I activate Hyper Cannon Blast!" The guns fore, aft, and on the sides began to glow, becoming longer, sleeker, and more advanced. "This card increases my ship's attack and defense to 4500, so now here comes the best part! By giving up one monster on my side of the field, I can attack you directly! So, I tribute Helicopter Support Squad to bypass my own Spell and your monsters to hit you directly!" The helicopters on her field glowed and transformed into artillery shells that loaded themselves into the ship's laser guns, adding to their already overwhelming offensive power. The guns roared an instant later, the shells blowing through the defenses of her field and bypassing Sora and Riku.

Sora's eyes widened as the shells exploded right on the guns on his side of the field, causing them to blow up. The shrapnel passed through him, and he winced involuntarily even though they were holograms.

Mitsuro: 300 Sora: 4100 – 4500 = 0

Sora slumped to his hands and knees, stunned at what had happened. He had actually _lost_ a duel, and to someone who couldn't have their mind read! This was an impossible event for him. He normally won duels, not lost them.

Mitsuro, however, was impressed that he had nearly beaten her, but she was also a bit unnerved by his special talent. She would have to put more effort into her duels now, she noted.

At least she had won… for now, anyway…


	7. Messages from the Shadows

_Mitsuro has a strange dream and she hears her brother's voice! But why does he want her to leave him? Then she registers for the tournament and finds Antov and Sora have also signed up. But what about that alternate realm? Who are those people and what does that have to do with Matt Luther?_

* * *

**Chapter 7: Messages from the Shadows**

The rain beat down gently on the roof of her family's home as she stood near the window, watching a few ships coming and going from the harbor and the docks. The lights reflected off the water and sparkled in the rain, reminding her of jewels, and shards of glass as they sparkled through the air as a result of a direct shell hit. Mitsuro watched them for a moment, reflecting back on some of the stuff that had happened.

She had become a bit stronger, but she still felt like she was weak and useless in a sense. Although she now commanded a destroyer, she didn't _feel_ like a part of the naval force yet, even though she had already been in combat once! She wondered what it was that she was missing. It didn't seem right to her at this point.

"What am I missing?" she murmured. "It can't be the experience, let alone a reason. So what is it?"

She glanced at the clock and noticed that it was well after ten. She walked over to her bed and slid under the covers. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep to the soft pounding of the rain.

* * *

_She floated in darkness, her eyes closed, her uniform's coattails floating and her hair drifting lightly around her face. She felt something around her, almost like shadows. The shadows obscured her sense of direction, rendering her senseless. She felt so hopeless, unable to do anything except drift in the nothingness._

"_Why?" she whispered. "Why am I so weak? How can I become stronger?"_

_The shadows said nothing. They kept swirling around her, leaving her powerless to fight them and resist. Tears pricked at her eyes, and they fell down her cheeks, shimmering in the nonexistent light. "I…I just want to be…a part of the naval force…"_

_A soft breeze teased her hair and lightly brushed her skin, but she knew it was the darkness reminding her of how powerless she really was. "Someone…please…help me…"_

_"_Mitsuro…._" Her eyes snapped open at the voice, recognizing it._

"_Jason?" She pushed herself into a sitting position, looking around, trying to find the source of the voice. "Jason, where are you?"_

"Mitsuro…_"_

"_JASON!" she cried. "ANSWER ME!"_

"Help me…_"_

"_How can I? Where are you?" she asked, her eyes looking around the shadows. The shadows seemed to be reacting at this, however. She saw them beginning to cluster around her, forming over her and swarming around her body. She felt their little feet and talons as they drew closer to her face._

"_AH!" She suddenly backed up, tearing herself free from them. But they gathered again and began to swarm towards her again. "Get away from me!" she cried. She grabbed her pistol and drew it out. She fired at the shadows, striking a few and injuring others. She also lashed out with kicks and punches, knocking them back and using her karate to help in her defense._

_They kept coming, almost like a sea of them. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw that the shadows were no longer shadows, but a huge wave towering over her. The wave came down on top of her and she screamed as she was swamped by the water._

_She gritted her teeth and held her breath as she was thrown head over heels before she righted herself. She opened her eyes and saw that she was at least ten feet under water. She kicked her legs and broke the surface, gasping as she did so._

_She was in the middle of very rough waters, lightning and thunder crashing overhead. Ice-cold rain and hail lashed at her face and hands, drawing blood and making her cough every time a wave forced her under. Mitsuro struggled to fight the deluge, but it was impossible. Every time she tried to keep her head up, she was swamped and she felt like she couldn't fight this._

_She closed her eyes and let the waves rush over her, swamping her and reducing her will to fight on._

_Mitsuro found herself drifting on the surface a few seconds later, her body soaked and drenched. She knew that fighting was useless now._

"_Jason…I'm sorry. I can't fight this anymore," she whispered hoarsely. "I give up."_

_Then…it happened._

_A soft voice whispered in her ear. '_Why are you giving up?_'_

"_What can I do? Even though I'm in the navy, I still don't know what it's like to _be_ a part of them," Mitsuro murmured. "And I don't know where my brother is… let alone what actually happened that day."_

'Don't think like that. You can do this. Being a part of the navy isn't all about fighting, the number of naval battles you fought, or the number of scars you gained. Haven't you wondered why your brother had such a good reputation?_' the voice asked._

"_What about him?" she asked._

'Your brother's reputation came from being able to work with his crew effectively, and he always trusted in them. They trusted in him, and they guided his decisions. He relied on them as much as they relied on him._'_

"_Then he wasn't a good captain if that happened," Mitsuro said softly._

'Actually, he was. He and his crew fought as a team and effectively. A closely knit crew is just one factor among many, but it is just as essential as the rest of the factors. _Being_ a member of the navy means having the guts to do the right thing, to serve your country, and to have an understanding,_' the voice said._

"_An understanding of what?"_

'An understanding of the purpose to defend what is important. Remember that duel with Sora a couple days ago?_'_

"_Yeah, so? What does that have to do with this?" Mitsuro asked._

'You knew what was important. You wanted a chance to find him, and you wanted to keep that chance. The navy is your only option of finding him, and if you lost, then you would have been kicked out. But you didn't lose. You won, and thus you kept your chance to find him,_' the voice explained._

"_So, I still have a chance?" she asked, stunned._

'Yes, you do, Mitsuro. You still have a chance to find him. And you can do it. You are not powerless. You have the ability to do this. Don't give up, and you can do it._'_

"_You're right. My brother needs me, and I won't give up! Not now, not ever!" Mitsuro cried._

_Although the waves were still as fierce as ever, and although she got swamped and forced under the surface again, the unknown voice's words still echoed in her mind, and the fire inside her flared back into action. Her heart began to glow softly, and the light flowed around her, enveloping her and lifting her body up out of the depths of the ocean._

_She found herself hovering above the turbulent seas, and the shadows from before emerged from the waves and tried to engulf her, but they faded at the touch of the warm light. She smiled._

_Then, the voice of her brother cut through the shadows and the thunder and rain._

"Mitsuro…Help me…_"_

"_Jason! I'm coming!" she cried. "I won't stop looking until I find you!"_

_The voice hesitated, then it spoke again. "_No… Too dangerous… Stay back…_"_

"_No! Not until I find you!" Mitsuro yelled. "I'll save you somehow! I promise!"_

"No… Run… Leave me…_"_

"_No! I won't! And that's the truth!"_

* * *

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up, her face streaked with sweat. She raised a hand to her head, unable to believe that she had even witnessed that. "Wow… What a dream," she murmured. "It felt so real…"

She looked around her room, sighing with relief. "At least it was just a dream."

Mitsuro got out of bed and got ready for the day, intent on heading out to the city's registration point for the tournament. After breakfast, she grabbed her Duel Disk and headed out. She grabbed the keys for her Jeep and within minutes, she had left the base, heading for the Duel Tournament Registration.

By the time she got there, she was surprised to see the number of duelists. A few of them came from the naval base, some were from out of the country, but most were from other segments of the nation. She noticed with anger in her eyes that Sora was there amongst the other duelists. That Keyblade Duel Disk of his was unmistakable.

She got into another line and proceeded to wait in line.

The registration took only a few minutes, so the line moved pretty rapidly. When she entered the building, she walked up to the closest desk. The clerk there examined her deck and Duel Disk before returning the apparatus to her. "Name?" he said.

"Mitsuro Itachu."

"Age?"

"Twenty-one."

"Deck type?"

"Machine. The name is Destroyer Demolition," Mitsuro replied.

The man entered the information into the computer before he turned back to her. "All right, ma'am. You're all set. The tournament begins in two days. You have until then."

"All right!" Mitsuro said.

She turned and left the building. As she walked past Sora, he sneered at her. She didn't return the gaze. Instead, she kept walking past him.

Right into one of her crew.

She smacked head-on into Antov, the helmsman. He looked down at her on the ground as she sat there, rubbing her head. "Oww!"

"Are you all right?" he asked, holding out a hand.

Mitsuro nodded as she grasped it and he hauled her to her feet. "Yeah. I'm fine," she said. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"What does it look like? I signed up for the tournament," Antov said with a grin. "Besides. I want to see how good you are at dueling."

Mitsurp grinned back. "I'll have you know that I'm a good duelist. I ranked number six at Duel Academy," she replied.

"I'll have to see it in order to believe it," Antov chuckled.

"I wonder what kind of deck you have," Mitsuro wondered.

"You'll see at the tournament," he replied. He lightly slapped her shoulder. "Oh, yeah. The escort's after the tournament. We'll have to be ready."

She nodded. "All right. We'll be there."

* * *

_Two days later…_

The San Diego Duel Tournament was an event that happened only once every year, and it's turnout was sometimes compared to the Super Bowl. The average turnout was at least 500,000 people with another few hundred thousand in the parking lot or watching from chartered helicopters or even blimps.

The tournament was considered to be one of the best, and it was also a very popular event when it did occur. People from other countries sometimes took part in it, as did a number of US servicemen and servicewomen. The reason for this popularity was the prize that the tournament offered every year. The winner received the latest deck from Kaiba Corp's own Industrial Illusions branch, along with a million dollars and a chance to tour the company. Second place received a new series of booster packs and five hundred thousand dollars with a cruise paid for by Kaiba Corp. Third place got a new card pack and twenty-five thousand dollars along with a discount card that could be used for ten months.

As a result, the tournament was considered to be a desirable one to win. With the victory often came fame and a chance to appear on talk shows.

The tournament sponsors were holding it this year in the newest dueling stadium, the Silicon Dome. The dome itself was built near Silicon Valley and it could seat over five hundred thousand spectators. The duel arena was state of the art and allowed for either duel terminals or Duel Disks to be used. A retractable ceiling could be opened or closed, depending on the weather. This option was very popular, so the sponsors decided to hold the tournament there every year. In the middle of the dome was a flat-screen TV with a whopping 700 square inches. This massive screen allowed those watching farther back to see the action as if they were right there on the lowest level near the duelists. And, to set it apart from the other duel stadiums across the country, the Silicon Dome was powered by solar panels on the roof, a feature that was indicative of the United States switching over to green energy. The Silicon Dome was state-of-the-art and very energy efficient as a result.

The parking lot was filled with cars as the eager spectators filed in, along with the participants.

The announcer, a man with graying hair and green eyes, looked around at the crowd as he held his mike close to his mouth. "All right, duel lovers! Are you ready for the San Diego Duel Tournament?"

A loud roar went up from the crowd as they cheered. The man grinned. "All right then! Let's get it started!"

The roof was partly open on this fine sunny day, so the crowd was able to see a squad of three military fighter planes streak overhead as a tribute to the fallen of September 11, 2001. A moment of silence fell over them as the national anthem was sung by the sponsors. This was a common thing at major events like this. Then the moment passed.

The announcer grinned as he spoke into his mike. "I'm Daniel White, and I'll be your announcer for the tournament. So, duel lovers and duelists alike, get ready for the 52nd annual San Diego Duel Tournament!"

Again the crowd cheered.

In the locker room, Mitsuro glanced at Antov. "You ready?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Yeah. This time, I'm gonna try and win," she said.

"Good luck. And, if you do win, or at least get third place, we'll have a celebration," Antov said with a smirk.

"I can't wait," Mitsuro remarked as she rolled her eyes.

"All right! Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our first contestant, Antov Sikorvsky! His dueling strategy is very legendary back in Russia's armed forces, but ever since he came to America and became a US citizen, his strategy is becoming more well-known. His deck theme is Magician's Rage, a spell caster-type deck with a variety of magicians and fairies. So give him a round of applause!" Daniel yelled.

"That's my cue," Antov said. "Good luck."

"Thanks. You too," Mitsuro said. Antov smiled and headed out into the dueling arena. She watched as he pumped his fists into the air, drawing a cheer and roar from the crowd.

The next duelist introduced was a Mexican oilman named Diego Arezzo who had also won the Mexico City Duel Circuit. His dueling deck, Daniel said, was an Earth-based deck. Mitsuro committed this to memory.

The third duelist was a Southern woman named Bella Beaumont. She used winged-beast types in her deck and she was a good duelist who sometimes won when her life points were near zero and she had only one card in her deck. Mitsuro realized that this woman had incredible luck in order for that to happen.

The next duelists were introduced and finally, it was just down to her and Sora. Daniel's voice echoed over the duel arena. "The final two duelists involved in the tournament have some very unique decks and characteristics. First up is Sora Mikano, a student at the new dueling school, the Themelic Pantheon. His dueling deck is based around the popular game series, _Kingdom Hearts_, thus earning him the nickname the Keyblade Duelist."

Sora smirked as he stepped out into the arena.

Mitsuro felt her heart increase its beats and she began to feel nervous. She wondered what they would say about her, and if she could even do this.

Then, something surfaced in her mind. Memories of her brother appeared and she shook her head. "No. I've got to stay calm and focused. Don't worry about that kind of stuff!" she murmured to herself.

"And for our final duelist, we have a very special young woman. Her name is Mitsuro Itachu and she is captain of the US Navy's latest destroyer, the USS_ Rising Dawn_. Her deck is based around the US Navy's workhorse of the destroyers, the Arleigh Burke class. She attends Duel Academy, a very well-known dueling school. So, please give a warm welcome to Mitsuro Itachu!"

She squared her shoulders and stepped out into the arena. She took her place amongst the other duelists and cheers erupted from the crowd. She smiled shyly.

"All duelists, take a look at the monitor."

The eyes of everyone there, including Mitsuro, fixed themselves on the monitor just as a tree appeared. The names of the duelists appeared, right below their picture. Mitsuro noticed that she was facing Antov, right off the bat.

She grinned.

She was gonna win this one for sure.

* * *

_The forms finished filing into the room. The door hissed closed behind them softly before locking as they sat down around the heavy metal conference table. Windows in the room revealed the outside world, a horrific hellhole that had once been a modern civilized society. The ruins of buildings, cars, vehicles, and roads could be seen as far as the eye could see. No flames licked at them, having long been extinguished by the acid rains that fell from the ever cloudy skies. Water flooded the region where they were based, adding to its sinister atmosphere._

_One of the forms turned to face the others. "My comrades, we have a bit of a problem," he said._

"_What kind of problem?" a shy female voice asked from one of the group._

"_A vessel has penetrated through to our reality," the man said._

"_What kind of vessel? Was it one of ours?" a deeper male voice asked._

"_Unfortunately, no. This vessel destroyed one of our ships and then vanished without a trace," one of the women explained. "We did a little examination of it and compared it to the ship we sank a while ago."_

"_Was there a match?" the deep-voiced man asked._

_The woman nodded. "Yes, there was. But only in origin. This vessel was different in terms of speed, sleekness, firepower, and agility. Plus, it also had a type of plane we never saw before perched on the stern before it launched."_

_The first of these forms, the one seated at the head of the table, pondered this new development. "Then we have to assume that the people from that realm have found out about our plans through our agents, especially the one they call the Ghost Duelist."_

"_That fool has no idea of what they're capable of, does he?" the deep-voiced man said softly._

"_He does have a good idea, and that is why he has been ordered to take down my offspring, and any comrades he makes during his time there," the leader purred._

_He stood up and walked over to one of the windows, looking out at the ruins of the city below and around their base. "The time is coming for us to make our move on that realm. Then we shall turn it into a wasteland, eradicating all life except for those loyal enough to serve us. This way we can show them that it is useless to defy the power of a god, or in this case, a group of gods," he said, looking back at them. His eyes flashed in the dim lighting as he continued._

"_As for that realm, have they found anything out about us?"_

"_No, sir. That is fortunate for us. This way we can have the experience of taking them by surprise," one of the women said._

"_Good." The leader grinned. Ever since he had tapped into the power of the Shadow Realm, he had at first used it to protect, but then slowly his mind and soul had become tainted by it, causing him to go mad with power and destroy his own home world. He had spared those who were willing to serve him, and in return, he gave them portions of his powers. He considered himself to be a god; same with those who served him. They were considered gods in his eyes._

_But one world had thwarted his plans countless times. So he sent a ship there to see what this world was like, only to have his ship get involved in a naval fight and return damaged, but with a prisoner._

_This world was his only enemy._

"_But something tells me that they will be ready," the woman said. She shifted slightly in her seat. "I do not doubt our victory, yet something indicates that they may be preparing to repel our attack eventually."_

_The leader and his fellows were silent for a moment._

"_You… You dare to question my might?" the leader asked in a low voice laced with anger._

_The woman's eyes widened in shock. "N-No, sir! I don't!"_

"_Then why do you say that they will be ready?" he hissed._

"_They already sunk one of our ships when they penetrated through," she said. "That alone convinced me that they may be preparing."_

"_I don't believe it!" the leader snarled. "So…" He let his voice trail off as he held up a hand. "You know the punishment."_

_Her eyes widened in shock and horror as a feeling of pain began to build in her body, starting from her chest. "No!" she cried. "Don't! Give me another chance! I beg you!" Her screams for mercy were cut off as she let out a long sustained scream of agony and pain as her body was destroyed from within. Her flesh began to glow brightly as flames licked at it, scorching her clothing and hair. The smell of burning flesh, hair, and cloth filled the room as the other men and women watched in horror._

_Then, just as quickly as it begun, it ended. The woman's body slumped onto the table. He lowered his hand and turned, but not before spitting on the corpse. "Remove this thing from my sight," he ordered._

_One of the men got up and scooped up the body and left the room, leaving him and his fellow "gods" alone in the room._

_Once the door had hissed closed, the man looked down at the body and frowned. "This has to stop," he murmured. He looked up, tears in his eyes. "Matt… win this one. Please…"_


	8. The Tournament

_Mitsuro and Antov duel! But can she win? And what of the mysterious realm? What does this have to do with a mystery card and one of the "gods"?_

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Tournament**

Mitsuro smiled as the last duelist walked off the dueling platform. She looked at her deck and scanned through it, shuffling through it and trying to find the right combination that would allow her to win.

"All right!" Daniel White crowed. "After an awesome duel like that, let's get ready for our next duelist pair! Antov Sikorvsky VS Mitsuro Itachu!"

Antov looked up from his own deck and slipped it into his Duel Disk. Mitsuro did the same and they stepped onto the platform. He and her shook hands before they headed to their respective sides of the dueling arena.

"Duelists… Get your Duel Disks ready!" Daniel yelled.

Antov grabbed his Duel Disk and slapped it on just as the gauntlet closed over his own arm. The dueling projectors kicked in and he held it out in front of him.

Mitsuro thrust her arm into her Duel Disk's gauntlet and she held it up just as the numbers on the front began to glow with multicolored light. The numbers flared brightly as she brought it down and held it out in front of her.

"Draw your cards and let the duel begin!" Daniel cried. He ran to the side of the dueling arena to watch.

Antov swiftly drew his cards, followed by Mitsuro. "All right. I choose to go first!" Antov said. He drew one card and looked at it. He smirked. "I'll put one card face down and set a Monster in Defense Mode." The cards appeared on his field. "I end my turn."

"My move!" Mitsuro cried as she drew. She scanned her cards and grinned. "I set two cards face down and then I summon out Helicopter Support Squad (4/1200/1300)!" The air above her field became filled with helicopters. "Next I attack your facedown Monster with the Squad!" The guns on the helicopters became loaded and they fired, stitching a path towards his facedown card. He smirked as it flipped face up to reveal a blue-skinned woman with long brown hair wearing a green robe.

"My facedown card was Mystical Elf (4/800/2000)!" he said. "So your attack is sent right back at you!" A glowing barrier enveloped his elf and the bullets struck the barrier, causing mini explosions, but forcing some of them back and striking the ground around Mitsuro.

Mitsuro: 8000 – 800 = 7200 Antov: 8000

"Fine. I end my turn," Mitsuro said.

Antov drew a card and smiled. "I must say, that was quite an unexpected attack you pulled. But thankfully my elf's Defense is stronger."

Mitsuro smirked. "We'll see about that."

"I play the Spell Card De-Spell!" Antov said. He waved a hand and a magical lock with key appeared on her field. "Now I choose to disable one of your facedown cards!"

The lock hovered over her left facedown card. But instead of destroying it, it only flipped face up to reveal that it was a Trap card instead. Antov frowned slightly. "Fine. Now, I summon out to the field Dark Elf (4/2000/800)." A woman with dark brown skin and violet hair wearing a light blue robe appeared on his side of the field. "But in order for my Dark Elf to attack, I have to pay 1000 of my life points." The Dark Elf's hands began to glow with energy as his life points dropped. "Now she will attack your Support Squad."

Mitsuro smirked. "I activate a Trap Card! Mirror Force!" A shield of glowing energy appeared around her squad and herself just as the Dark Elf's attack fired. It struck the shield and was deflected back by it. The attack struck his Elf and she exploded. Antov grunted. "Nice move," he said.

"Thanks," Mitsuro replied with a grin.

"I end my turn," he said.

Mitsuro: 7200 Antov: 8000 – 1000 = 7000

"Wow, what a move!" Daniel said. "Mitsuro's doing good so far, but based on Antov's moves so far, he appears to be working up to his signature tactic. So she'd better be careful!"

Mitsuro frowned. He was right, she had to admit. Antov's strategy she hadn't even seen yet. So now all she could do was see if she could win. She drew her card. "All right! I set another ship facedown and set one card down on the field." She held out a card and a slot on her Duel Disk opened up. She inserted it and the field became encased in mist.

Antov looked around. What was this?

"I end my turn!" she said.

Antov shrugged. "All right then. I draw." He drew and smiled. "I summon out to the field Silent Magician Level 4 (4/1000/1000)." A small boy with white hair and pale skin wearing a white and blue color scheme holding a staff appeared on his field. "I end my turn."

Mitsuro frowned. She knew what the effect was, but she didn't have a choice at the moment. She drew her card just as a Spell Counter – a small orb of light – appeared on his monster's staff. The magician's strength increased by 500. She growled. That meant bad news. Unless she got her signature card out.

"My move now!" she said. "I flip up my facedown card to reveal my Assault Ship (4/1500/1200)!" A large deck-ship appeared on her field. "Plus this card allows me to summon two Assault Tokens (2/1000/1000) to the field." Two helicopters on the deck lifted off and hovered above it. "Now, since I have two tokens out, I sacrifice one of them to call out USS Guardian (6/2400/2500)!" Her sleek blue ship sailed out just as the helicopter vanished.

"Now I'll attack your Mystical Elf with USS Guardian!" she cried. The guns on her ship armed and fired the shells right for the elf. The shells hit, causing her to explode. Antov grunted, but that didn't matter to him. He had his best card in his hand, and all that was needed were four more Spell Counters. Then the duel would be all his.

"I end my turn," Mitsuro said.

"Fine. My move now." Antov drew and smirked. "I set one Monster face down in Defense mode. Then I activate the Spell Card Swords of Revealing Light!" he cried. Six swords made of pure light appeared in the air and slammed down onto Mitsuro's field. She gritted her teeth as he ended his turn.

She drew a card. "Well, since I can't attack, I may as well activate Reinforcement Forces!" she said. Two more helicopters hovered off the deck of her Assault Ship. "Since I have one Assault Token out, I can summon out two more tokens of the same name. Now, I sacrifice a second Assault Token in order to summon out USS Liberty (5/2000/2300)!" A second helicopter vanished to be replaced with a sleek, greenish vessel armed with fewer weapons.

Antov's brow furrowed as he noticed this. "It seems that you're using this time for something," he remarked.

"You don't even know the half of it!" Mitsuro said confidently. "With that, I end my turn."

"But I can still attack your ships," he pointed out.

"True, but I don't even really care. You have only one monster out, so that means that you can only attack once per turn," she said.

Antov knew she was right. But he could still prevent her from calling out her signature card. He drew swiftly. "I have my Silent Magician attack your USS Guardian!" he cried.

"I don't think so!" she said. "You just triggered my Spell card! Activate Defensive Covering Fire!" Instantly fifteen guns appeared on both sides of the field as his Silent Magician prepared an attack. But before the ball of white light could be launched, the guns on Mitsuro's side of the field fired and struck it, causing an explosion and forcing his monster back behind the guns on his side of the field. "This prevents all monsters from attacking for three turns!" Mitsuro relayed.

The Russian duelist grunted. "Nice move," he said. "I did not see that one coming. So I end my turn."

Mitsuro sighed with relief. '_At least I bought myself some time. It won't last for the whole duel, so I need to get the heavy artillery out. And fast!_' she thought.

"My turn!" Mitsuro drew her card and looked at it. She snarled, but it would do for now. She set one card face down on the field. "I end my turn."

Antov drew his card and smirked. "My. You sure have put up a good fight. But it ends here," he said. "I activate De-Spell!"

As if on cue, the guns on Liberty armed and fired, striking the Spell card on his field, startling him. "What?"

Mitsuro grinned. "I forgot to mention that Liberty cancels out Spells and Traps for two turns. This means that you can't rely on your cards to cancel out my Spell card."

Antov sighed. "All right. I end my turn."

Mitsuro sighed. "So far so good," she whispered. She glanced at her hand and drew from her deck. "All right. Now it's my turn! I'll sacrifice a third Assault Token in order to summon out Destroyer Class-USS Defender (5/2400/2400)!" The sleek white ship appeared out on her field as the third helicopter vanished. She smirked. "Now what'll you do?" she asked as she ended her turn.

He remained silent as he drew. His card was now strong enough to do the damage he wanted. But he wanted to see what she would do. "I summon out to the field Gemini Elf (4/1900/900). Then I end my turn." A duo of elves appeared on his field. One wore purple and the other wore light blue.

The swords on Mitsuro's field vanished, but the guns remained. She drew her card and the attack of his Silent Magician reached 3500. She frowned, but kept herself focused. She looked at her hand and smirked. "Time to bring out the heavy artillery!" she said.

Antov knew what was coming. He remained calm as she slapped her signature card down on her Duel Disk. "I remove from play my three destroyers in order to summon out my most powerful card: USS Liberation! (10/3400/3500)!" The three ships on her field merged into one just as a flash of light blinded him briefly. He lowered his arm and blinked his eyes as he looked at her field. In place of her three ships was her most powerful card. A sleek red, white, and blue destroyer with incredible weaponry was now on her field.

"It doesn't matter. My Magician is now stronger than your ship," Antov replied.

"I end my turn," Mitsuro said.

He cocked an eyebrow. Was she planning something?

He simply shrugged. "My draw." He drew and slipped the card into his hand. "Now, since Silent Magician has five Spell Counters, I can sacrifice him in order to summon out Silent Magician Level 8." The boy was enveloped in a bright light, growing taller and bigger. Once the light faded, there was a man wearing blue and white standing on his field. "Then I end my turn."

Mitsuro glanced at her card on the field and noticed that the three turn limit was up. The guns on both their fields exploded, causing them to throw up their arms even though the shrapnel wasn't real. "All right. Now that that's done, time to go on the offensive!" she said. "USS Liberation! Attack his Gemini Elf!"

Antov grinned. "I play Negate Attack!" he cried. He thrust out a hand just as the massive ship on her field fired its rounds. A shield of energy formed around him and his monsters, canceling out the attack and forcing Mitsuro past her battle phase. She grunted. "I'll end my turn."

"Perfect," Antov smirked softly as he drew. "Now, Silent Magician! Send that USS Liberation to the bottom of the sea!"

"I don't think so!" Mitsuro suddenly hissed. "You see, I can shift the effect to my Helicopter Support Squad to keep my ship safe!" Just as his Magician fired off a ball of energy at her ship, the helicopters got in front and took the blow, exploding as they crashed around the field.

Mitsuro: 7200 – 2300 = 4900 Antov: 7000

"Fine," Antov said. "I'll have my Gemini Elf attack your last Token." The two elves leapt into the air at the same time and landed around the helicopter. They lashed out with graceful kicks and struck it, causing it to explode.

Mitsuro: 4900 – 900 = 4000 Antov: 7000

"Then I end my turn."

Mitsuro growled as she glanced at her hidden Spell Card. '_I have to take down that Silent Magician or else my strategy won't work!_' she thought. Then she looked at her deck. "My draw!" She hoped that she would be able to pull together a major combo.

She looked at the card and smirked. "All right!" she whispered to herself.

"Well, folks!" Daniel announced. "It seems that Mitsuro may have some kind of a major strategy up her sleeve! Will she be able to turn this thing around?"

"I play Hyper Cannon Blast!" she cried. The guns on her ship altered to become sleeker and more advanced. "Now my ship's stronger than your Magician!" she said with a grin. "So, take him out!" The guns on her ship roared in unison, sending lasers at the Silent Magician. But Antov grinned.

"I play Brain Control!" he said.

"Huh!" Mitsuro jerked back in shock. "You what?"

"You heard me," Antov said. "I activate Brain Control. I pay 800 life points in order to gain control of your Assault Ship!"

Mitsuro stared in shock as a holographic image of a brain with hands over it appeared. The brain shot towards her ship and passed inside it. The ship then turned and floated over to his side of the field. The blast from her ship struck the Assault ship and took the brunt of the explosion. Antov was silent as his life points dropped.

Mitsuro: 4000 Antov: 7000 – 3000 = 4000

"Now we're even," he said calmly.

"Yeah. But not for long," Mitsuro said. "I end my turn."

Antov drew and lay a card face down. "I end my turn."

Mitsuro drew swiftly and smirked. "I activate a Trap card!"

Antov raised an eyebrow. What kind of Trap would give her this confidence? Apparently he was about to find out.

"I activate Liberation!" Mitsuro cried. A small force of Marines appeared on her field. "By paying 1000 life points, I can summon one level five or lower monster from your Graveyard to my side of the field!" The Marines ran forward and grabbed something from behind his other monsters. He was shocked to see them run back with his Silent Magician Level 4.

"What are you planning?" he asked.

"This!" Mitsuro said with a grin. "Now I activate my Field Spell! Light on the Horizon!" The mist of her field faded and the field changed. Antov was shocked to see water beneath their feet, the coast to the left side, the rising sun to the right. "This gives all Light Attribute type monsters a 500 point gain in attack and defense!"

"Why activate something that will make my cards stronger than yours?" he asked.

"This is why!" Mitsuro said. "I tribute your Silent Magician Level 4 in order to launch a direct attack on you!"

Antov's eyes widened as the Magician faded into light and streamed into the ship's arsenal, becoming part of it. The guns roared and the beams bypassed his other monsters, striking him dead center in the chest. He involuntarily stepped back as the blast hit.

Mitsuro: 4000 – 1000 = 3000 Antov: 4000 – 4500 = 0

"And there you have it, folks! Mitsuro just beat Antov, and by a significant margin in points, which is quite impressive, too," Daniel said.

Antov shut down his Duel Disk and approached her. "You did good," he said.

"Thanks," Mitsuro replied as she grinned.

He held out a hand. "It was fun dueling you."

She shook his hand. "Thanks. You too, Antov. You too."

* * *

_The man glanced around, his eyes darting from one spot to the next in the cracked hallway. The wind blew in through the shattered windows, making him shiver in his cloak. He crept out from his room, holding a box in his hands. He opened it and peeked at the contents. A small smile came to his lips._

_Ever since he had found it, he kept it a secret from even his superior. No one, except him, knew of the power this card contained. But there was one downside to this card. None of his fellow "gods", himself included, could use it. It required a pure heart and lack of any power from the Shadow Realm in order to use. Plus, certain other criteria had to be met._

_He had no idea as to what those criteria were, but he knew that they had to be met in order for it to be activated._

_The door to another room not too far from him hissed open and he glanced back in shock. He quickly closed the box and vanished into the shadows of another hallway, his cloak billowing behind him. He ducked into another room and flattened himself against the wall._

_He sighed in relief._

"_Good. No one's found out," he murmured. He withdrew the box from his cloak again and he opened it, looking at the card hidden inside. The power it contained was immense, and he could practically feel it contrasting with his own power._

_Once again, the man closed the box._

_Now all he had to do was find the one who could use it._

_He focused his power and he felt his body shifting out of reality into the realm that they were scheduled to attack. He opened his eyes and smiled. The future that was destined for Matt's home would never come to pass with this card in the right hands._

* * *

The area around the Silicon Dome was full of tents and RVs. Mitsuro shook her head in disbelief. It was still an amazing thing to see so many people turn out for this event.

"Man. This is still an amazing sight, even after I've watched this myself," she murmured.

She was leaning against Antov's RV, her arms folded across her chest. The big Russian helmsman was chatting with a few of his old submarine buddies from his days in the Russian forces, and every now and then she could hear laughter coming from the group. She could tell by the tone of their voices that they were getting tanked up on vodka. In her opinion, it still amazed her how Antov could pilot the _Rising Dawn_ when drunk. She guessed that it had to do with being Russian, but didn't press the matter home.

"Hey, Mitsuro!" Antov's voice called from the group. She turned to look at them.

The Russian waved an arm. "Why don't you join us?"

She shrugged. "Sure." She approached the group. The men were grinning and one of them whistled at her. She grinned back and flashed the thumbs up.

"I was just telling some of my buddies here how we clobbered a navy ship we never saw before," Antov said.

"You did?" Mitsuro asked, shocked.

He nodded. "Yeah. Believe it or not, some of the guys were also involved in a battle with an unusual warship. So it's becoming more common, I guess." Antov's face was a bit flushed from his drink, but his eyes were still alert, a remarkable contrast to some of the other Russians she had seen.

"Yeah. I guess so," she said.

Antov poured a glass of vodka from the bottle and handed it to her. "Here. Take a shot of that."

Mitsuro took the glass, confusion appearing on her face.

"Go on. It's common for members of the Russian forces to share a drink together," Antov remarked.

She shrugged. After all, she was of legal age to drink. She slugged down half the glass, surprising the men. A few whistled in amazement, impressed at her. She wiped her mouth and grinned.

Antov blinked. "Wow."

"I used to drink a bit back at Duel Academy. But thankfully it was occasionally," she explained.

It didn't take long for the submariners to warm up to her. She soon joined them in the laughter and joking. She even took a chance at making jokes at her newfound Russian friends, which they took well.

A few drinks later and she was ready for the sack. She said good night and headed into the RV to get some sleep. After she showered, she slipped under the covers and fell asleep, unaware of the man that appeared out of nowhere not too far from where the RV was parked…


	9. The Tournament 2

_Mitsuro duels Diego Arezzo and triumphs. But when she meets with a mysterious person later that evening, she learns some surprising information relating to her brother's mysterious disappearance. And what does this have to do with Matt? When she gains a new card and a modified bullet, can she learn to control this newfound power?_

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Tournament 2**

Mitsuro stirred in bed, waking up to the sound of Antov grumbling. She opened her eyes and she was surprised to see him up and about. He looked clearly pissed about something. She sat up, rubbing at an eye. "What's going on, Antov?" she murmured.

"I'll tell ya what!" the Russian roared. "Someone's broken in!"

That got her. She got out of bed in an instant, revealing her dressed in a black T-shirt and a pair of light blue shorts with little destroyers on them. She ran over to him. "You're joking, right?"

Antov shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Commander." He pointed at one of the windows of the RV. She turned and blinked in shock at the shattered glass littering the tiled floor. "Whoever it was, they left something on the table." He handed her a letter.

Mitsuro took it and looked at the writing. It was nice and flowing, sending a chill down her back. It reminded her of Jason.

_There will be someone who will meet with you at ten this evening at these coordinates. They will give you something to help you find your brother. Be there. Come alone._

There was no signature. She looked up at Antov, confused. "Who left this?" she asked.

He shrugged. "No clue. I just found it this morning."

"What could they know about my brother?" she murmured.

"Anyway, you'd better get ready for the next duel. Apparently you'll be facing the Mexican, Diego Arezzo. He won the Mexico City Duel Circuit a few years back and he beat several other duelists in order to get to the finals."

It had only been a week since the tournament began. With duels lasting sometimes well into the night, depending on how many were going, the tournament went by surprisingly quick. Mitsuro had beaten some pretty strong duelists in order to get as far as she did. Sora also made it to the finals. She couldn't help but feel anger stir in her belly at the thought of him.

She nodded as she grabbed her Duel Disk. "I'll be ready."

It didn't take her long to get ready, and soon, she stood in her full uniform outside the dueling arena with Antov beside her. He patted her shoulder. "Good luck."

She smiled. "Thanks."

"All right, everybody! Get ready for another action-packed duel! Here we have Mitsuro Itachu VS Diego Arezzo!" Daniel shouted. The crowd responded with a cheer and the two duelists stepped out.

Diego Arezzo was a heavily built man with dark tan skin that looked like weathered leather from spending days outside working the oil drills. He wore a shirt that was stained with oil in some places and his pants were oil stained blue jeans. His work boots were scuffed and he wore the Standard type Duel Disk on his left arm. He smiled as he waved at the crowd.

Mitsuro knew a little bit about the Mexico City Duel Circuit. It was an illegal tournament held by the blue-collar workers of the city. The circuit had notoriety as being a hard-core duelist paradise and sometimes people even died in the tournament. But whoever won the circuit was considered to be one of the best duelists in the entire state.

Diego grinned and spoke. "Well, _senorita_, this shall be an interesting duel," he said.

"Yeah. I can't wait to see how good you are. But, considering how you won the Mexico City Duel Circuit, I guess I shouldn't be surprised," Mitsuro replied.

Diego nodded. "Yes, and you will know how I won soon. But for now, let's get our Duel Disks set, shall we?"

She nodded back.

Diego pressed a switch on his Duel Disk and it came together into its duel mode. He slipped his deck into the slot and the Duel Disk glowed, its holographic projectors activated.

Mitsuro activated hers as she shoved her arm into the gauntlet at the bottom. She held it up and brought it down just as the numbers flared, activating the holographic generators. She drew her cards and they both got ready to duel.

Diego drew first. "All right. My turn. I summon to the field Wolf Axwielder (4/1650/1000)!" A humanoid wolf with blood red markings on its body appeared on his field, holding a big ax in one hand and a shield in the other. "Next, I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Mitsuro drew her card. "Then I guess it's my turn. I set one card face-down and set a face-down monster in defense mode. Then I end my turn." Both cards appeared on her field and the counter switched to Diego.

Mitsuro: 8000 Diego: 8000

He drew and smirked. "Now I set one Monster face down in defense mode and I'll have Wolf Axwielder attack your facedown monster!" The wolf leapt forward, his ax glinting in the light from the sun. The blade struck her facedown card, revealing it to be a ship. The white coloring with the Red Cross symbol on it was unmistakable.

"Sorry, Diego. But my facedown card was Navy Hospital Ship (4/500/2000). So your monster can't penetrate through its defense!" Mitsuro said. The blade only nicked the armor of the ship before the wolf leapt back to Diego's side of the field.

Mitsuro: 8000 Diego: 8000 – 350 = 7450

"Now I end my turn." Mitsuro smiled.

Diego grimaced, but he said nothing about it. She was good, he had to admit. A monster with good defensive capabilities meant that he couldn't rely on his trusty Wolf Axwielder to break down its defenses. He'd have to call out some heavier muscle.

"My draw." He drew his card and grinned. "I sacrifice my Wolf Axwielder in order to summon out Judge Man (6/2200/1500)!" His wolf howled as a light overcame him and altered to fit the shape of another monster. The light faded to reveal a warrior with a long white beard and dressed in samurai armor of a sort, carrying two large maces in both hands. "Now I'll have him attack your Navy Hospital Ship!" The warrior lunged for the vessel, his clubs whirling as he charged. His clubs easily shattered the armor and the ship "sank". "Then I end my turn."

She drew. "All right. Now it's my turn. I summon out to the field Helicopter Support Squad (4/1300/1200) and set another card facedown. I end my turn."

Diego smirked as he drew a card. "Now I'm going to summon out to the field Giant Flea (4/1500/1200)." A large overgrown flea appeared on his field, right beside his Judge Man and his facedown monster. "Now I'll have Judge Man attack your helicopters!" His Judge Man charged again, this time heading for her squad. But she smirked.

"I activate Defensive Covering Fire!" she cried.

Diego knew from watching her that this card she used to buy some time in order to call out the heavy artillery. The guns appeared on both their fields and his Judge Man retreated behind his new defensive lines.

"Fine. I end my turn."

* * *

_While the duel was going on, the man watched this from the shadows in the upper levels of the stadium. He frowned. Was this young woman really the one? She seemed so young… But then again, maybe her youth was disguising her true potential. Some of the most unexpected duelists in history had been young, like Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba. The two legendary duelists were quite young when world-changing events had happened._

_He looked down at the card box he held. This special card's power was starting to weaken him. He needed to hand it to her before he lost his power and he was forced to pull back._

_A loud cheer from the crowd forced him to look down at the scene below. Two turns had passed since she had played her Spell. She had out on her field two of the three ships needed to call out her trump card. But he knew that unless she acted fast, she wouldn't be able to call it out. So far she had proven to be a tougher challenge for the oilman than he thought. She was also at a disadvantage, but she was doing quite well against him._

_He pulled back again and examined the card once more. The power it contained was just what needed to be hidden from his superior. If it didn't happen, then the whole world…this world…was doomed to the same fate as his own. And he didn't want that to come about. Someone needed to stop his superior. And soon._

_A louder cheer erupted from below, catching his attention. He peeped out and he smiled. She had called out her trump card. But so had her opponent. He wondered if she could win this time. If she did, then she was the one._

* * *

Mitsuro snarled as Diego held out his arms. "What do you think? Ultimate Tyranno is one card no one can stop for now," he said. His monster was a massive dinosaur with exceedingly sharp teeth and claws. "Especially when I activate Gaia Power!" The oilman drew the card from his hand. The field card slot on his Duel Disk opened and he inserted it into the slot. The slot closed and almost instantly, Mitsuro noticed that the duel arena had given way to a forest with a large tree looming in the center, right behind Diego. "This card increases the attack of my monsters by 500, but as a price their defense is decreased by 400. So now, Ultimate Tyranno! Attack her ship and sink it to the bottom of the sea!"

Mitsuro grinned just as his huge dinosaur scratched at her ship's hull, creating scratches, but it didn't "sink". Diego blinked in shock. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you," she said. "You see, my ship doesn't get sunk once per turn when it would have been destroyed. Although I still take damage, my ship is safe for now."

Mitsuro: 5200 – 100 = 5100 Diego: 7450

She sighed with relief. Her ship never let her down with its special abilities. Especially now. She looked at her hand. She scowled. Her ship could only attack once per turn, but that didn't mean she couldn't destroy his Giant Flea. And until she drew Hyper Cannon Blast, she was on the defensive for now. She looked up. "At least I can still attack! USS Liberation! Aim and fire at his Giant Flea!" The ship's guns locked onto his flea and fired, sending shells right at it. They struck and Diego's flea exploded into bits. He grunted, but said nothing.

Mitsuro: 5100 + 500 = 5600 Diego: 7450 – 1400 = 6050

"Then I end my turn."

"Fine. My turn." Diego drew and put one card in his hand. "I attack your Assault Token with Ultimate Tyranno!" His dinosaur roared as it ran at the lone copter and stomped it into pieces. The aircraft exploded and she snarled. "I end my turn."

Mitsuro: 5100 – 2500 + 500 = 3100 Diego: 6050

She grabbed the top card and drew. She smiled in immense relief. "All right!" she murmured. "My turn! I activate Hyper Cannon Blast!" The guns on her ship changed into laser guns and a few were added to the rest of the arsenal. "Now my ship's attack and defense points become 4500. That's way more than enough to destroy your big lizard!" she cried. "But first, I activate from my hand Light on the Horizon!"

The field spell that Diego had played suddenly faded to show the duel arena again. Water appeared beneath their feet and the horizon appeared on their right, the coast to their left, the lights glinting. The sun was setting on the horizon and in the distance, a light from a ship glinted. "All Light Attribute type monsters gain 500 attack and defense points this turn!" she said. "Now I'll attack your lizard with USS Liberation!" The guns on her ship roared and the combination of shells and lasers struck his monster directly in the chest. An explosion occurred, causing his monster to explode to bits. "Now my Helicopter Support Squad can attack you directly followed by my Assault Ship!"

The helicopters began firing on him and forced Diego to cover himself as holographic bullets whizzed and whistled around him. A few passed through him, but he didn't notice. The guns on her Assault ship opened up next, striking his Duel Disk and reducing his life points even further.

Mitsuro: 3100 + 500 = 3600 Diego: 6050 – 1500 – 1800 – 2000 = 750

"I end my turn," Mitsuro said.

Diego drew, but he smiled. "You're good," he said. "Too good for me to continue. So I hereby yield to you."

Mitsuro was surprised. This man was surrendering to her? "Are you sure?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes." He held up his Duel Disk and the life point counter dropped to zero.

"What an epic duel!" Daniel yelled. "Diego has yielded to Mitsuro, an unexpected twist, but still very effective! Especially after she came back from that Secret Barrel trap Diego had set up. What an amazing end!"

As Mitsuro left the dueling arena, she heard him say, "Mitsuro will move on to the next duel, which will be against Bella Beaumont. But first we'll have Sora duel against…" She didn't catch the name of his opponent because by then she had entered into the locker room where Antov was waiting.

"Good duel," he said.

"Thanks. I'm dueling Bella Beaumont soon," she said.

"Good luck," Antov said.

She noticed his spaced out gaze. "You all right?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Just reflecting on that day, that's all."

"The day that Jason went missing?"

"Yeah."

Mitsuro nodded. "I thought so. But that's why I joined the Navy. To try and find him. Or at least try to figure out what happened to him, at least."

"I know," Antov murmured. "What I want to know is why it was his ship that was attacked and not another one. All he wanted to do was succeed in getting a convoy through the Iranian blockade." He turned to look at her. "That's why I wanted to return to sea with a new ship and crew."

"I guess our common goals are the same," she remarked.

He grinned. "Yeah. They are." Then he became serious as she sat down on one of the benches. "Why aren't you out watching the duel?" he asked.

"I just needed a break from all the attention," Mitsuro said. "And I need some time to think about what to do regarding that meeting tonight."

Antov's face hardened at the mention of the meeting. "Oh. I see. Well, at least bring your weapon with. This way you'll have something to defend yourself with."

She nodded. "I wasn't planning on leaving without it."

* * *

_That evening…_

**Location: Hidden Location**

**Time: 2200, 10:00 pm, Local time**

The moonlight shone down on the abandoned factory, making the cracked windows glint. The building itself was beginning to become covered with overgrowth, and the parking lot was becoming cracked from tree roots as they bulged beneath the pavement. The loading dock was quiet as she guided her Jeep into the area.

Mitsuro shivered at the sight of the old factory. '_Why they had to pick this place is beyond me!_' she thought.

One of her hands drifted from the steering wheel to the gun holster on her belt. She felt a sense of security and protection from the mere touch of the weapon. It was her only means of defense, aside from her karate moves.

She brought the Jeep to a stop and shut down the engine. It didn't take her long to spot the location near the loading bay. She stepped from her vehicle and walked over to the location. Her heart began to pound in her chest as she neared it. The shadows seemed as if they would come alive at any moment. The memory of her dreams came back to her and she shuddered.

"Hello…" a voice whispered.

Mitsuro gasped and spun, her hand flying for her gun. It was out of the holster before the man even stepped fully from the shadows. Her finger pulled the trigger a second later and the sharp crack echoed across the abandoned factory complex. The bullet sped towards the man's location. But it didn't strike him.

"Take it easy and put your weapon down," a voice purred from behind her. She suddenly tensed, whirling around on the spot and aiming the weapon at the man's heart.

The two stood there for a few seconds, although it seemed much longer. Finally, the man raised his hands into the air in surrender. "Just calm down. I am not here to hurt you."

"Then what are you here for?" Mitsuro asked, her voice a low snarl.

"To talk." The man lowered his hands, but her gun never wavered. "I have some information that you may find interesting."

"What kind of information?" she hissed.

The man stepped closer, making her back up. "Information about your brother's disappearance."

That got her. She raised the gun a bit higher. "What do you know about that?" she asked.

"Enough that it may be of some use. However, I cannot reveal it all at once. The rest you must seek out yourself. I can tell you what little I can, and of how you can rescue him and others that may fall under _his_ spell," the man said calmly.

"What are you talking about?" Mitsuro growled. "Who are you!" She tightened her finger on the semiautomatic pistol.

"I am a friend. That is all I can say," the man told her. "But if you want, call me X."

"All right then "X"! What do you know about my brother's disappearance?" Mitsuro asked.

X chuckled. "I can tell you what little I can, but that is it. However, you must have a bit of background on me before I can tell you anything."

"Fine! Then talk!" Mitsuro spat

"First off, I come from a place where there is no hope and no light left," X said. "This place is stripped of all freedom and no one is allowed to speak their mind anymore. It is in this forsaken realm that I was born. I was raised in a simple family, but without any hope or light. My parents told me legends of a time when the world was a much different place, a place of life, light, freedom, and hope. I was told that these were lies, that the world had always been the way I remembered it. However, I didn't believe it. So I sought out the truth. And in doing so, I uncovered many things, one of which I kept hidden from my superior all this time.

"This place which I come from is similar to your own home world, but it is not. There, nothing is left of the great civilizations that governed it except ruins and debris. Acid rain falls and taints the hearts of those who still live in that hell with darkness and fear. No hope is allowed to thrive."

"Wait. You come from a parallel world?" Mitsuro blurted. "That's not possible!"

"I assure you it is," X told her. "If you desire proof…" He raised a hand and the bullet that had missed him rose from the ground. He waved his hand and it flew end over end back toward her. She blinked in shock as she caught it in her hand. He lowered his hand. "Now do you believe me about what I said? Or do you require additional proof? If so, I can show you more of the powers that I was given…"

She looked at the bullet in her hand. It felt a bit…different, almost like there was some kind of energy flowing through it. She glanced up in confusion. "What did you do?" she whispered.

X shrugged. "I simply gave you a little added power." He pointed at the bullet. "That one bullet…it will serve you well."

"What do you mean?" she asked, holding it close.

"If you fire it…it will always return to you. And it will never let you down." X looked into her forest green eyes. "One shot, one kill. Always right on target, no matter where you aim."

She blinked as she looked at the bullet. It didn't seem any different than before, but she could feel the power that it held. She didn't believe it, but the energy seemed like it was…not of the shadows.

Then X stepped closer. She held the bullet close to her chest. "What do you know?" she asked.

He stopped. "It is from my forsaken home realm that a ship sailed forth, a ship with a mission. This ship was supposed to take out another ship and sink it. That ship was your brother's." Here he paused, noting her reaction.

She was silent, her eyes fixed on him with determination.

X cocked his head. "Are you not curious as to why your brother's ship was targeted, and no one else's?"

Mitsuro nodded. "Yeah. All he was doing was trying to help people out."

"It was because he was getting involved in something my superior and his followers are planning." That simple statement from X caught her attention.

"But why? What was he doing that caused an unknown enemy warship to sink his destroyer?" she asked.

"My superior is planning something involving your world, and one of his two offspring: the boy you know as Matthew Luther," X explained. "You see, he wants to destroy Matthew and bring about another world similar to my own. But I cannot allow that to happen again." He looked down at his hands, almost as if they belonged to someone else. "Too many worlds have fallen to his power, and they all have been stripped of what made them great. I myself was a part of one of these invasion forces. I have seen firsthand what our actions have caused, and what kind of state the worlds fall into after many years of fear and terror."

"What happens?" Mitsuro asked, although she knew she would dread the answer.

X turned to face the abandoned factory. "Come."

He walked into the old building. Mitsuro blinked in shock as she lowered her gun. What was he doing now? She looked down at the bullet in her free hand, then she stuffed it into her pocket. She could reload it later. She ran after X, following him into the old factory.

Their footsteps echoed on the steel flooring as he guided her through. "Look around you. This factory was once a bustling place, a part in a more massive machine that fueled progress and encouraged others to do the same." He motioned around. "But now, it is just an abandoned building, a shell of its former self. No one works here anymore, and the place has been left to rust and decay, falling apart over time until nothing stands. Then all that's left is ruins."

He turned to look at her. "Just like this factory, the people of my home realm fade away, become former shells of their true selves, and they lose everything, making them ruins of what they once were. If people do not have hope or freedom or life or light, then they fade and decay, becoming mere shells of their former selves. They decay, wilt, and lose what makes them alive."

X stepped closer. "They lose their souls."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

X nodded grimly. "Yes."

"But…but how? How does your superior plan to carry out this insane plan of his?" Mitsuro asked.

"The power of the Shadow Realm," X said softly. He looked up at one of the windows. Mitsuro followed his gaze. She noticed that she could see stars from here.

"My superior possesses a portion of the Shadow Realm's power. It has made him a madman. It has changed him for the worse. At first, when he tapped into it by accident once, he thought he could use it to protect others." X looked down at his feet. "At least…until the Shadow Realm's power grew too much for him. He became obsessed with its power. He wanted more and more until he became a "god" in a sense." Here X looked up again, and Mitsuro spied shimmering streaks beneath the hood of his cloak. "He destroyed his home, his friends, everyone. He changed their lives for the worse. And that's when his legacy of terror began."

"But what does that have to do with my brother?" Mitsuro asked.

"Everything. Your brother was the latest to be attacked in his scheme to boost his power by taking others from this world and absorbing their power. Your brother's ship was pretty much absorbed, the crew's minds being taken and constrained in his grasp. Some of them have been spared and given a new chance as crew members and captains of his own navy, but your brother refused. So they dragged his body into my home realm and he is still contained there. His body is slowly being eaten away by the shadows that bind him," X said. "If he is trapped there any longer, then his mind will lose its shell and he will fade away."

"Where is he?" Mitsuro blurted. "I want to know!"

X suddenly appeared behind her (she had no idea how he did that!) and grabbed her by her arms, restraining her. "It is not time," X said. "You are not ready. And you cannot do this alone. Only Matthew Luther can truly liberate these people."

"What do you mean I'm not ready!" Mitsuro hissed as she struggled in his grasp. "Let me go!"

"Not until you finish hearing me out!" X ordered.

Mitsuro grunted and drew back one of her feet, lashing out in a back kick and catching X off guard. He released her as he grunted. She spun and aimed her gun at him again. But before she could pull the trigger, X charged at her and grabbed her, slamming her into one of the long-disused machines. Dust floated up around them, obscuring the view of the moon and stars. Mitsuro kicked out again and caught X in the chest. He was sent flying as she scrambled to her feet and aimed the gun. But he was faster than her on the trigger. X snatched her and tossed her right onto one of the old conveyor belts. He perched on top of her, holding her gun hand in one hand and her free hand in his other.

"Just finish hearing me out. Then you can fire on me if you want too," he said softly.

Mitsuro struggled a bit longer, but then she gave up. Her muscles relaxed. "Fine."

"Very good." X got off of her and helped her up. "As I was saying, you lack the power to free those who have been touched by the Shadow Realm. And if they remain under his command any longer, they will lose themselves and become one with the shadows. They shall be my superior's minions for life."

"Then how do I free them?" Mitsuro asked.

X reached into his cloak and drew out a partly rusted box. "This box holds the means for you to free them, along with others that are touched by the power of the shadows."

She took it and opened up the lid.

The contents glimmered in the moonlight as she reached in and pulled them out. The card she held glowed dimly in the light, and on the front was an image of her trump card firing lasers of a heavenly caliber at an unknown target, an angel dressed in modern clothing in the background. She read the name in mild awe. "Divine Liberation Strike…"

X nodded. "Yes. That card shall be the most powerful weapon in your arsenal for the fight against the shadows. It is very powerful, hence why it cannot be activated during normal duels. Only when certain criteria are met can it be activated."

"What kind of criteria?" Mitsuro asked, still gazing at the card.

"That I do not know. It is up to you to figure that out," X told her.

She looked up from the card. "But what kind of power does it have?" she asked.

X bowed his head, gazing again at his hands. "It is a power that contrasts the shadows, destroying them and sending them back to where they come from. I cannot use it because I have some of the power of the Shadow Realm, and my heart is not as pure as yours." He looked up at her. "You, on the other hand, can use this card. This card, along with the bullet I gave you, will be a part of your arsenal."

"But how did we wind up in your home realm to begin with?" Mitsuro blurted suddenly. She felt very foolish for doing so, but X seemed to sense her curiosity and the truth as to what happened.

"The mist through which you sailed to arrive at my home realm was the portal. Any ship from your realm that survives a duel there gains the ability to shift between the two realms at will. This power is very useful, for it will prevent you from being spotted and sunk," X told her. "But do not use it unwisely. Such a power can be disastrous when used the wrong way."

X turned and left. Mitsuro growled, but ran after him.

Once out of the old factory, he turned and looked at her. "Remember this. The power which you have gained is of a caliber that no mere mortal can use. It requires exceptionally strong willpower, which you have demonstrated on more than one occasion. Use it well, and it will grant you strength. Use it unwisely, and it shall prove your downfall."

With that, X literally faded before her eyes into nothing.

Mitsuro glanced back down at the card she now held in her hand. The name glimmered in the moonlight, and she felt it resonate with the bullet in her pocket.

What kind of power she gained, she didn't know. But she knew that it all came down to one thing: finding her brother and fast!


	10. The Tournament 3: Shadow Game!

_Mitsuro duels Bella, only to discover that she has some kind of sinister power. When it's revealed that Bella possesses the power of the Shadow Realm, can Mitsuro use her newfound power to win and save everyone in the Silicon Dome? Or will she lose and have Bella transport them all into the shadows for all eternity?_

* * *

**Chapter 10: The Tournament 3 - Shadow Game!**

The next day was one of the most unexpected duels in her life. It was also when she first realized just how much was really at stake. Bella Beaumont, she knew, was from the Southern state of Mississippi, with green eyes and bright red hair, a rare combination for most women. Her body was very supple, with the curves of a fashion model, and her skin was a deep bronze. Mitsuro guessed that it was a fake tan, which was considered out of date these days. Bella was also a winner of the Mississippi Duel Conference, a real accomplishment for someone from the South.

Already it was halfway through the duel, and Mitsuro had to admit, Bella was very good. Almost a little _too_ good.

Mitsuro: 3500 Bella: 7500

Mitsuro cast her gaze around the field, taking in the situation. Bella had out on her field three Harpy Ladies (4/1300/1400), and due to the effect of Harpy Lady 1, all of them had 1600 attack points. Mitsuro herself only had out Assault Ship (4/1500/1200) and Helicopter Support Squad (4/1300/1200). And on top of that, she didn't have her three destroyers in hand.

This wasn't looking good for her.

"Damn it!" she muttered. "How can I take down those Harpies?"

"You can't," Bella purred in her cool voice. "You don't stand a chance, especially when the card Level Limit – Area B is in play."

Mitsuro scowled. "We'll see about that!" she spat.

"Try and win this duel," Bella murmured softly.

The way she said it sent chills down Mitsuro's back, a feeling she hadn't experienced before in her life. She gritted her teeth and grabbed the top card of her deck. "My draw!"

She drew and smirked. "All right!" she muttered. She looked up at Bella. "I activate Naval Protocol!" The guns on her ship and helicopters aimed at the limiters set around them. "This card allows me to destroy one face-up spell on your side of the field and I choose Level Limit – Area B!" The guns fired, sending shells right into the limiters and causing them to explode.

Bella scowled. "But my Harpies are still stronger than your ships," she remarked.

"Not when I activate this!" Mitsuro snapped. The field card slot on her Duel Disk popped open and she slipped a card into it. "I activate Light on the Horizon!" The field altered to show the coast of the United States, the sun setting on the horizon. "This increases the attack and defense of all Light type monsters by 500! So that means my Assault Ship (+2000) and Support Squad (+1800) get a power boost!"

Bella's eyes widened. "Then that means…"

Mitsuro grinned. "Exactly!" She waved an arm. "And my Support Squad starts the assault!" The guns on her helicopters fired repeatedly at the first Harpy Lady, peppering her with bullets. She let out a screech as she disintegrated. "Next my Assault Ship brings up the rear!" Her ship aimed its guns and let loose with a devastating barrage. The shells exploded around her second Harpy Lady, causing an explosion.

Mitsuro: 3500 Bella: 7500 – 200 – 400 = 6900

"With that, I end my turn!" Mitsuro said.

Bella frowned. Mitsuro had just turned the tide, and with only two cards. This meant that she was smart. But still… Her eyes drifted down to a card in her hand and she sneered. As long as she had that card, she could win.

She drew and grinned even wider. "I summon out Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress #1 (4/1400/1200)!" A blue dragon appeared on her field and spread its wings, taking flight. "Now I set one card facedown and end my turn."

Mitsuro drew next. "Yes! Finally!" she muttered. She looked up. "I sacrifice my Assault Ship in order to summon out Destroyer Class – USS Defender (5/2400/2400)! Then I'll end my turn."

"No attacks? Hmm. You must be losing your courage," Bella mocked.

"Hardly!" Mitsuro spat. "I'm just getting started!"

"I'd like to see you try," Bella purred as she drew. She ended her turn on the spot.

Mitsuro began to get a bad feeling in her gut, and in her right pocket, she could feel the modified bullet getting warmer. '_What's happening?_' she thought. '_Why is the bullet reacting this way?_'

She had no time to ponder this as she drew. Vaguely in the background she could hear Daniel making comments on the duel, but she didn't focus on them. Something was bothering her. And she needed to figure out what it was. "I give up my Support Squad in order to summon out Destroyer Class – USS Liberty (5/2000/2300)!" she yelled. The sleek vessel appeared on her field alongside the other one.

Bella did the same thing with drawing her card and then ending her turn abruptly. Mitsuro began to fear the worst as she drew her card. She needed the heavy firepower and fast!

"I summon out to the field Destroyer Class – USS Guardian (6/-1200/-1250)! By doing so without tributes means that its power is cut, but it's still good to go!" she said as the sleek blue ship appeared. "Now I'm gonna order Defender to begin the assault! Take out her Last Harpy Lady!" The guns on her white ship fired, exploding missiles around the last Harpy Lady. One struck her and caused her to explode into pieces. "USS Liberty! Fire on that Winged Dragon!" The guns on Liberty let loose, causing the dragon to explode into many bits. "And finally, Guardian can attack you directly!" The guns on Guardian barked once, sending shells and missiles into the field around Bella. "Then I end my turn."

Mitsuro: 3500 Bella: 6900 – 800 – 600 – 1250 = 4250

Bella stood there at the opposite end of the dueling arena, her head bowed. Mitsuro grinned. "What's going on, Bella? Are _you_ losing courage?" she asked.

"Hardly. In fact, I'd like to thank you for doing that," Bella said, looking up.

Mitsuro gasped in shock. The audience also gasped in shock, but not as much as Antov. His eyes widened. "No!" he whispered, his voice hoarse.

Bella's eyes were pure black. Nothing, not even the iris, was visible. She chuckled as she held out a hand. "You see, by sending one dragon-type monster to the graveyard, you've just triggered my Spell card: Draconic Resurrection. This card allows me to summon out to the field a dragon type from my hand or deck. And I choose to summon out Dark-Eyes Dragon (9/4000/4000)!"

"Dark-Eyes Dragon! Is there even such a card!" Antov cried.

"There is," Bella said. "Now, come on out! Dark-Eyes Dragon!" The clouds above the field began to circle sinisterly, drawing in energy until an orb of darkness was hovering over the Silicon Dome.

At that moment, Mitsuro felt a searing heat in her pocket and she glanced down at it. Beneath the fabric she could see the glowing form of the bullet. It was almost as if it had been _warning_ her about this.

She glanced up as Antov called her name. She was shocked to see the orb hovering down, taking on a more draconic form. The darkness around it began to fade until she could make out the details. The dragon was as dark as a black hole, and it's eyes were the deepest red she had ever seen. Wings with tatters in them spread to their fullest and the beast let loose a roar that literally shook the whole stadium.

Mitsuro blinked in shock as she watched the fine particles of dust falling. "What's going on? This doesn't look like the work of a hologram!" she murmured.

"That's right, because it isn't a hologram," Bella said. She sneered evilly at the lieutenant commander. "This is the power of the Shadow Realm!"

"Shadow Realm!" Mitsuro tensed, realizing that this was not just a duel, but a Shadow Game. She had heard of them, but had never thought she would be experiencing one. "If that's so, then why isn't there a mist in here?"

Bella cackled. "Fool! Outside here is the realm!" she cried. "And everyone here will be the latest victims!"

"I won't allow that to happen!" Mitsuro said. She held out her Duel Disk. "So let's get this thing kicked into high gear!"

Bella grinned. "With pleasure! Dark-Eyes Dragon! Attack her Defender ship!" The beast roared as it opened its mouth. In the back of its maw, a bright red ball of energy charged up, getting ready to fire.

The bullet in Mitsuro's pocket suddenly released a searing heat that forced her to yelp in pain. She could feel the burning through her uniform as she stared in shock at the orb of energy forming in the dragon's mouth. Then, it fired. A beam of bright red energy streaked out from the Dark-Eyes Dragon, slamming head on into her destroyer. The impact caused an explosion that rocked the stadium and its occupants. A few people cried out in pain, and some even died as parts of the dome's roof collapsed. Mitsuro tensed, expecting the worst as the shockwave struck.

But to her surprise, no pain greeted her. Instead, she heard Bella's gasp of surprise and shock. "What? How come your monster's still intact?"

She lowered her arms and looked up, sighing with relief, even though she was shocked at the sight of the holes through her ship's sides.

"Well, it looks like Defender's special ability came in handy this time," she said. "My ship can't be destroyed by a monster with more than 3000 attack points! So that means that it stays on the field!"

Mitsuro: 3500 – 1600 = 1900 Bella: 4250

"Fine! I end my turn!" Bella snapped.

Mitsuro grabbed the top card in her deck. "C'mon…let me win this thing!" she muttered. She drew, but it wasn't what she needed in terms of the heavy firepower. But maybe it could buy her a little time. She looked up. "I activate Defensive Covering Fire!" Holographic guns appeared on both sides of the field. "This card prevents all monsters from attacking for three turns! And with that, I end my turn!"

Bella frowned. "So what? You think your puny little magic card can stop my monster's attack?"

Her eyes widened. "What? Are you serious?" she asked, shocked.

Bella grinned as she took her draw. "Yes. Dark-Eyes Dragon is immune to all spell and trap cards that could prevent it from attacking."

"Then that means…" Mitsuro stared in shock. "NO!" she yelled.

Bella grinned. "Oh, yes! Now, go! Dark-Eyes Dragon! Fire at her Guardian vessel!"

Mitsuro's eyes widened as the realization struck home. If she lost, then not only would everyone else here die, but so would she. She would lose a Shadow Game and be lost to the shadows forever. Then she would lose her chance at finding Jason…forever.

"NO!" she yelled. "I WILL NOT LOSE THIS DUEL!"

In her pocket, the bullet began to glow, releasing warmth through her and into her Duel Disk just as Dark-Eyes Dragon fired at her ship. The next thing she knew, a flash of light erupted from her Duel Disk and the guns on her side of the field attacked the blast, causing it to explode as it neared Guardian.

"F***!" Bella swore. "How did that happen?"

Mitsuro looked up, stunned at what had just happened. Her ship was still intact, and the guns on her side of the field were smoking. Then she grinned. "Hah! Nice try, Bella!" she said. "But Defensive Covering Fire prevents _any_ monsters from attacking, including effect monsters such as yours!"

"But my dragon's ability prevents that sort of thing from happening!" Bella protested.

"Not if you don't pay a price!" Mitsuro said. "Every card that has to attack directly sometimes comes with a price. And a card as powerful as that can't attack without a price. So you didn't read the text thoroughly!"

"Damn!" Bella hissed. "I should've listened more closely to my superior!" She muttered that last part more to herself than Mitsuro.

"So, are you done?" Mitsuro asked.

"Yes. I end my turn!" Bella snapped.

Mitsuro sighed with visible relief as she drew. She grinned. "All right!" she cried. "Now time for the heavy artillery! By removing from play my three destroyer class ships, I can summon out the heavy firepower! So get ready to face USS Liberation (10/3400/3500)!" The three destroyers glowed and melded into one, becoming larger, sleeker, and more powerful. The light faded to reveal her red, white, and blue ship on the field.

Bella cackled. "So what? Your ship is still puny when compared to my monster!"

Mitsuro hated to admit it, but she was right. And she didn't even have Hyper Cannon Blast in her hand. She ended her turn.

Bella drew. Then she grinned. "I activate Draconic Uprising! This useful little card boosts my dragon's power by one thousand points in attack and defense! So that gives Dark-Eyes Dragon a total of 5000 attack and defense points!" Then she frowned. "But because of your little spell, I can't attack. So I'll end my turn."

Mitsuro bit her lower lip. She had one turn left on Bella's turn before her spell was destroyed. She needed to take the upper hand. But even with Hyper Cannon blast, she was doomed. Unless she had some way of winning. She drew and smiled grimly. "I activate Hyper Cannon Blast!" The guns on her destroyer became sleeker and more advanced, adding to its attack and defense. "This card makes my ship's attack and defense points 4500. And with that, I end my turn."

Bella grinned evilly as she drew her card. "Now, time to die!" she said. She slapped down another card on her Duel Disk. "I activate Draconic Rampage! This adds to my card's power by another 400 points!" she screamed. "Now I'll end my turn."

The guns on both sides of the field rusted and fell to pieces. Mitsuro could only hope for the best now. She drew her card. "I summon out to the field Helicopter Support Squad (4/1300/1200)!" For the second time, helicopters filled the air above her field. "Then I end my turn."

"Finally! Now, I can attack your ship and send you to the shadows!" Bella cried. Dark-Eyes Dragon powered up its blast before firing it at Mitsuro's massive destroyer. The blast struck her ship and caused a massive explosion. The force of the energy knocked her flat on her back, the wind knocked from her lungs.

Mitsuro: 1900 – 900 = 1000 Bella: 4250

"Unh…" Mitsuro grunted as she pushed herself into a sitting position. "Okay. That was unexpected…" she muttered. She cast a quick glance up at her destroyer and noticed with relief that it was still "afloat". She grinned at Bella who frowned. Her pure black eyes narrowed in anger as she realized that Liberation had a special ability at its disposal.

"I end my turn," she said.

"Bella, what happened? How did you become tainted by the shadows?" Mitsuro asked.

Bella lowered her head. "Why are you so interested all of a sudden?" she asked.

"I watched you duel in the preliminaries and the semi-finals. You struck me as a duelist who loved to duel and nothing more. You always chatted and had a good time," the lieutenant commander said.

"That was…I never did any of that!" Bella snapped, looking up, her black eyes growing even darker. "I was always the way I am!"

"No you weren't! I can see that this isn't the real you!" Mitsuro exclaimed. "I even talked to you once. You were a happy young woman, but then this happened! Something changed and I want to know what it is!"

"SHUT UP, WENCH!" Bella screamed. "I have always been this way, and I am who I am! I wasn't that person you described! And I shall prove it! So make your move!"

"Fine! But I will find a way to bring that person back to the surface!" Mitsuro snapped. She drew her card. "And I'll start by ending my turn!" She slipped the card into the graveyard.

Bella's insane laughter cut across the duel arena. Daniel's voice echoed also, almost drowned out by her laughter and the roar of her beast. "What an unexpected turn of events! Here right at our own San Diego Duel Tournament, we have a real-life Shadow Game going on before us! Already seven people have been injured and ten others have died due to falling debris and being crushed. And it seems like there's much more at stake than we realized. So who will win this epic duel? Let's find out!"

"You fool! Ending your turn can only seal your demise!" Bella cried. "Attack her ship again!" Dark-Eyes Dragon let loose another blast of energy that struck her ship, causing another explosion. Bella's eyes were now even blacker than space itself as she cackled. "How did you like that one!" she asked.

Mitsuro: 1000 – 900 = 100 Bella: 4250

Mitsuro staggered to her feet, clutching her side. "So this is what a Shadow Game's like…" she murmured. "I guess it's my move." She looked at her ship, relieved that it was still in the game. The red, white, and blue hull plating was now covered with scorch marks and battle scars, but it still was in good shape otherwise.

She released her side, and despite the pain she felt, laid her hand on top of her deck. "Bella… You… The real you is still inside somewhere... I can tell. She's begging for release, and she will be freed again. Whatever happened to make you like this, I'm gonna undo it and bring you back to who you once were!"

The top card of her deck began to glow…

Mitsuro's pupils began to glow…

"This time, I won't hold back! I will win this duel, not just for you, but for those who have died and for my brother!" she cried. "So it's time to draw!"

She drew, a streak of heavenly light forming from the card she had drawn. She looked at it and her eyes widened in shock. The card she had drawn… She knew that card by the name on it. As she looked at it, her eyes changed color from forest green to a pure silver-white with a golden edge and a sky blue iris.

When she looked up, she was shocked to see something hovering behind Bella's body. '_What…? What _is_ that?_' she thought. The shape behind Bella looked a lot like the Dark-Eyes Dragon, but much more misty. And in the middle of it she could see a small pulsing orb, almost like a heart, but not a heart.

She had no idea what it was, but she had a feeling that it was important. She tensed and held up her card. "I activate Divine Liberation Strike!" As she slid it into the Spell and Trap card slot, the bullet in her pocket resonated with the card, glowing brightly with silver, gold, blue, and white light. "This card boosts my ship's attack and defense by 500, giving it 5000 attack and defense points!" The light from the Spell card suddenly streaked skyward and began to take on a humanoid form. It began to fade, revealing a male angel dressed in modern clothing hovering behind her ship. His wings were spread and his short hair was teased in an unseen wind. His handsome face was set in a serious expression and his ever-changing eyes were locked onto Bella's possessor. He held up a hand and his power began to flow down into the Liberation, changing its red, white, and blue color scheme to silver, blue, gold, and white. The ship shuddered with the unreleased energy as the angel faded.

"So? You can't attack me directly, can you?" Bella asked mockingly.

Mitsuro smirked. "I wouldn't say that I can't. In fact, I _can_ do just that!"

Bella's eyes widened. "What? How?"

"This is how!" Mitsuro shouted. "By giving up my Helicopter Support Squad, I can attack you directly!" The helicopters began to glow with the same heavenly light and they were transformed into artillery shells that loaded themselves into the Liberation's guns. The ship's guns swung about, charging up orbs of light that glowed with the same heavenly power. Mitsuro swung her hand as she yelled out the words. "USS LIBERATION! ATTACK HER DIRECTLY WITH DIVINE LASER STRIKE!" she roared.

The guns on the Liberation roared in sync with, releasing the divine energy with everything they had. The beams streaked toward Bella, their light standing out against the darkness that covered the field. Just as they neared her, someone in the audience spied something unusual happening in the sky. An orb of sky blue energy was forming in the sky above Bella, concentrating until it a small pinprick. Then it happened.

A massive beam of blue energy came down from the sky and exploded around Bella, revealing the dark misty shape behind her, trapping it in place. She couldn't move, and the shape was stunned.

Then the lasers hit.

A huge explosion erupted on the spot, releasing a massive ball of heavenly energy that overcame the darkness, forcing it to flee. The shadows retreated out the open roof and through the holes in the walls, fading back into the mist. The dark, misty shape behind Bella writhed in agony as the light overcame it, destroying it and removing it from Bella's body. Bella also screamed in pain and agony, a long, loud sound that Mitsuro swore she would never hear from another human being again.

Mitsuro: 100 Bella: 4250 – 5000 = 0

The light faded and the sun began to stream in through the holes in the wall and the roof. Some people were relieved and the others cheered. Mitsuro felt relief flooding her body and then she blacked out on the spot.

* * *

_X smiled. Now all she had to do was master that card to its fullest. Then she would be ready to head back to Duel Academy. Then he frowned. He hadn't expected her to be able to _see_ the thing possessing the woman, Bella. That was an unexpected side effect, he guessed._

_Still, it had proven to be an advantage for her. Since she had seen it, she must now know about the possibility of the shadows being able to possess others. Bella was one classic example of such a possession. Even so, the Shadow Game had taken a toll on her._

_X glanced back at the arena and watched as the Russian, Antov, lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the dueling arena. Another duelist leapt into the arena and lifted Bella into his own arms, carrying her to the infirmary. The announcer let out a cry of excitement. "What an epic finish to that duel…er, Shadow Game! Mitsuro moves on to the next match of the finals, which will happen in two days' time. Until then, have a good time!"_

"_Now, it all comes down to the next duel," X murmured softly as he faded from sight…_


	11. The Tournament 4: Information and Duels

_Mitsuro discovers that Bella had been possessed by something ever since she had been attacked by it ten months ago. Then she duels Sora in the final rounds of the tournament. But Sora's preventing her from winning. Can she win this duel? Or will she lose the tournament?_

* * *

**Chapter 11 - The Tournament 4: Information and Duels**

The first thing she realized when she came to was that she was lying on something hard, almost like there was a floor beneath her. She opened her eyes, only to yelp as the light hit them.

"Hey, take it easy, Commander," Antov's voice said from beside her.

Mitsuro groaned and turned her head to face him. "Antov?"

He nodded.

"What happened?" Mitsuro asked.

"You passed out after you won the duel," Antov said. "But the good news is that you moved up into the next stage of the finals."

"What about Bella?" she asked. She managed to push herself into a sitting position, despite Antov's disapproving glare. Clearly he didn't want her to overtax herself. But he folded his arms and spoke anyway.

"She's in the infirmary near here," he explained. "And the next stage of the finals, the top four, begins in two days."

"So that gives me plenty of time to try and figure this out," Mitsuro mused.

Antov held out a hand and she grasped it. He pulled her to her feet and she brushed off her uniform. "I agree, but we have to let Bella recover from whatever she went through," he told her.

She looked around, noticing that they were in the locker room. "Why are we in the locker room?" she asked.

"It was the closest place I could bring you. Besides, you weren't injured like Bella was," Antov pointed out.

Mitsuro nodded. "I see…"

"Just what happened during the duel?" Antov asked. "What happened with Bella back there? She acted like she was possessed by something."

"She was," Mitsuro said. She looked in the mirror at her own reflection for a moment. "When I drew that card, something changed inside me. I could actually _see_ what it was that was controlling her. It looked like a misty shape of the Dark-Eyes Dragon… and I saw some kind of orb in its chest."

"I saw the same thing when that blue beam slammed down onto the dueling arena," Antov said. "I have no idea as to what it was, though."

"Neither do I," Mitsuro murmured. She slumped down onto one of the benches. "But whatever it was couldn't stand up to the power that card has."

Antov nodded his head in agreement, remembering what Mitsuro had told him last night. He still couldn't believe that Mitsuro's new card was marked by a power that not even the shadows could withstand, let alone destroy. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I agree. So, when Bella wakes up, we'll ask her a few questions."

* * *

**Location: Silicon Dome Infirmary**

**Time: 1500, 3:00 pm Local Time**

"Is Bella able to talk to us?" Antov asked the doctor.

The other man nodded. "Yes, she is awake. But she needs her rest."

"We won't be long," Mitsuro said. "Just a few minutes."

The doctor sighed. "All right. But don't stay too long." He opened up the door and the two stepped into the infirmary. The room was crowded as a result of the injuries and dead. The doctors and nurses worked to care for the injured while they notified the families of the dead of their loved ones' passage.

Mitsuro felt a pang of sympathy for those grieving.

She scanned the room before she spotted the person they were looking for. She was sitting up and looking around in confusion.

Mitsuro and Antov headed over to her. "Um, Bella, is it?"

Bella nodded. "Yes, that's me. Who are you, might I ask?" she asked.

"My name's Mitsuro Itachu and this is Antov Sikorvsky. We're here to ask you some things," Mitsuro said.

"Have I done anything to warrant an investigation by the military?" Bella asked.

"I'm afraid not. This is purely an investigative matter regarding the duel we just had," Mitsuro said to her.

Bella blinked in confusion. "Excuse me? I don't recall ever having a duel with you."

"Hold on. You recall nothing of the events that happened?" the Russian asked.

The Southern woman shook her head. "I'm sorry. I cannot. All I have is a haze between now and when I was first attacked."

"Wait. Attacked? How long ago was that?" Mitsuro asked.

"I do not know. I am hoping you'd know," Bella admitted.

Antov frowned. "When were you attacked?" he inquired.

"About ten months ago," Bella said.

"Then that means you would've been attacked in September," Antov murmured. "What can you recall from that day?"

Bella grew thoughtful at this. She put a hand to her chin. "All I can recall is arriving home from a duel party. I entered my house and there was this creature hovering right in front of me. Then, it grabbed me and the next thing I knew, it was trying to enter my body and then…nothing. The next thing I recall is waking up to finding you two looking over me, telling me that I just dueled one of you."

Mitsuro stared in shock. This woman didn't even recall any of the events that had happened?

"What happened during this duel?" Bella asked.

Antov immediately launched into a detailed description of the duel, with Mitsuro adding her own tidbits into the story. When he mentioned the creature and the intense last turns of the duel, Bella's eyes widened in shock. Had she really done all that, and more?

"Did…I really do that?" she asked.

Mitsuro nodded. "Yeah. You did. But thankfully, you were rescued."

"I am grateful to you, although I truly do not believe your story. However, judging by how weak I am, there must be some element of truth to it," Bella said.

Mitsuro smiled. "Yeah. That happens. Now get some rest. You deserve it."

Bella smiled back and closed her eyes, letting her body fall into sleep.

* * *

_A few hours later…_

Antov glanced at the card in his hand. He studied the name and the image on it. The power he felt from it made his spine tingle. He handed it back to Mitsuro. "That card is very powerful," he mused. "It's not something that can be used like a normal game card."

"That's what X – the guy who gave it to me – said," Mitsuro remarked. "And during the Shadow Game against Bella, or whatever possessed her, it came in handy."

"I noticed," Antov said. "That power is immense, and it is definitely not of the shadows. Where he got that card, I don't know. All I know is that you have to use it when it's needed the most."

Mitsuro nodded. "I agree. Plus, it kind of reminds me of those alchemic cards that Matt's clones played, along with one of the cards that a girl named Cary Strickland played. She was with me when I dueled against Matt's female clone," she explained. "Cary got some kind of card called Chrysopoeia or something like that. It had some kind of ability to change monsters on the field. The details are a bit vague." She shrugged.

"I understand that this Matt kid may have something to do with this?" Antov asked, motioning to the card Mitsuro held.

She shook her head. "I don't think so," she said. "But maybe there is a connection of some kind. I don't know for sure. All I know is that he has some kind of connection with the Shadow Realm business, and the Ghost Duelist."

"Don't forget this X character, that new card of yours, the modified bullet, and your brother's disappearance," Antov pointed out.

"Thanks for reminding me," Mitsuro remarked. She rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, now that you defeated Bella, you'd better be prepared for the final four," Antov said.

"Who will I be dueling?" Mitsuro asked.

"You'll be dueling Sora." Antov's remark was right on. The Russian stood and headed over to the fridge. Within a few minutes, he was back, carrying a bottle of vodka. He poured himself a glass and handed the rest of the bottle to her. "You may need something to help your nerves."

"Thanks, but I'm fine," Mitsuro said, although she slugged down half of the remainder of vodka.

Antov grinned. "Now let's rest. The next round will begin in two days."

She nodded. "All right."

* * *

_X slipped from the tree and landed softly on the ground. He smirked. '_So far, so good,_' he thought to himself. He knew that doing this was a risk, as she could too become tainted by the lust for power. But he couldn't allow this world to fall, like so many others had done. He wanted his superior to be free from the madness that now controlled him. He also wanted people to be _free_, to see light, to have hopes and dreams, like his parents had told him many years before._

_So far The Rebellion hadn't been found. Sparse as it was, at least it had a chance of success in liberating his realm. And if Matt's father, his superior, discovered this, then it was all over. The Rebels would be flushed out and killed, eliminating any chance of success for liberating them. And as risky as his betrayal was, it was needed to save the worlds that remained free. No one else could fall like the others did._

_He remembered all too clearly the last world they felled. The fear, the defense against their might, the hope, the drive, and the failure of them. He had seen everything that the "gods" had stripped away from everyone they came into contact with._

_It all hinged on this one gamble._

* * *

_Two days later…_

Mitsuro slipped her deck into her Duel Disk and looked at Antov. "Good luck," he said.

She nodded. "I'll win this one," she promised.

The big Russian nodded and smiled.

She flashed him thumbs up and entered the dueling arena to the cheers of the crowd. Daniel's voice echoed over the comm systems. "All right, dueling fans! Get ready for the first of the top two final matches, Mitsuro VS Sora! Last duel, Mitsuro barely saved the stadium and everyone here from a fate worse than we had thought possible! So give her a huge welcome hand!"

The crowd began to cheer louder as she waved.

"And facing her is Sora, who somehow has made it this far! So get ready for another amazing duel!"

Sora stepped out into the arena, smiling as he did so. A few girls squealed over him and one even held up a homemade sign that said _Good luck Sora!_

Mitsuro stifled a snicker.

"Duelists, get ready!"

Mitsuro thrust her arm into the gauntlet of her Duel Disk and it flashed as she held it up and brought it down, the numbers flashing multicolored light.

Sora responded by activating his own Duel Disk. The silvery portion activated and the small arm brought it around to connect with the bottom of the hilt.

"DUEL!" both shouted.

"My move!" Mitsuro said. She drew her card and smirked. "I set one card facedown and put a ship facedown! Then I end my turn!"

Sora responded in kind. "All right. I summon Heartless Soldier (3/1200/1500)!" The black soldier clad in armor appeared on his field and took a fighting stance. "Next I place one card facedown and I'll have him attack your facedown card!" Sora yelled. The soldier leapt from his field to Mitsuro's, lashing out with a kick to the side and striking something hard. Sora's eyes widened as the card flipped to reveal a white ship with a red cross on both sides and well armored.

"Sorry! But that was Navy Hospital Ship (4/500/2000)!" Mitsuro said.

Mitsuro: 8000 Sora: 8000 – 800 = 7200

Sora growled. "Damn!" he muttered. "I end my turn."

"Good." Mitsuro drew and smiled. "I summon out Submarine – Ohio Class (4/1400/1200)!" A black submarine appeared on the tiled dueling arena as if surfacing from it. "Now I can launch an attack with my sub!" The vessel's missile hatches opened and three missiles launched from them, streaking skyward before returning to earth and striking the ground around his Heartless Soldier. The shockwave was more than enough to finish it off. "Now I'll end my turn."

Mitsuro: 8000 Sora: 7200 – 200 = 7000

Sora snarled as he drew. So far she was in the lead, but she knew that it wouldn't last for long. "My turn!" Sora hissed. He looked at his cards, then slapped one down. "I summon out Air Soldier (4/1800/1450)!" A creature clad in armor with two wings sticking out the back emerged onto his field and got ready for combat. "I'll attack your submarine with Air Soldier!" The creature's eyes flared before it flew right for the submarine. But Mitsuro smirked.

"ATTACK!" she yelled. The massive black submarine fired its missiles again just as the Air Soldier struck it, causing it to break in half and sink. The missiles struck Sora, making him wince involuntarily. He opened his eyes and looked at his life points. "What? But how?" he asked.

"My submarine's special ability," Mitsuro explained. "Whenever my sub is selected as an attack target, I can inflict damage to you equal to its current attack points!"

Sora frowned. She was much better than the last time they had dueled. "I end my turn," he murmured.

Mitsuro: 8000 – 400 = 7600 Sora: 7000 – 1400 = 5600

She drew her cards and smirked. "I set one monster facedown and end my turn."

Sora growled but he drew his next card. "My turn!" he said. He looked at his hand and grinned. "I summon out to the field Bandit (4/1900/1200)!" A Heartless wearing a white turban and wielding a sword appeared on his field. Mitsuro tensed, knowing that she had only one chance to take it down. "Next I activate Heartless Power-Up! This boosts all my Heartless' attack by 400."

"I don't think so!" Mitsuro hissed. "I activate Naval Assault!" Almost instantly, guns appeared on her Navy Hospital Ship and fired, sending shells right at the Heartless. The explosion's shockwave blew away the dark mist that had begun creeping towards them. Sora snarled.

"Fine! I end my turn!"

Mitsuro sighed with relief. She drew her card and smiled visibly. "I summon out to the field Assault Ship (4/1500/1200)!" The ship appeared on her field with its guns at the ready. "Next I activate a Field Spell! Light on the Horizon!" The field shifted to show the coast of the United States with the sun setting on the horizon. "This card grants all Light Attribute monsters 500 attack and defense points. So that means my ships get a power boost! Now, Assault Ship can take down that Bandit of yours!" The guns on her ship powered up and roared, sending the shells right at the Heartless, striking it and making it explode.

Sora burst out laughing. Mitsuro's eyes narrowed. "What's so funny?" she asked.

"You just triggered my monster's special ability! Meaning you take the same amount of damage as the attack of my monster!" he said.

Her eyes widened as lights suddenly dashed past her, making her wince, even though she knew that this was all holographic. Her life points dropped as soon as they finished speeding past her.

Mitsuro: 7600 – 1900 = 5500 Sora: 5600 – 100 = 5500

"Now we're both even," Sora said.

Mitsuro frowned. "All right. I'll end my turn with a facedown card."

"Wow! This duel is turning out to be full of surprises!" Daniel said. "We saw how Sora came back and reduced Mitsuro's lead down to an even amount of life points! It goes to show how good those two are. But it seems like Mitsuro isn't done yet! Let's see how she can reclaim the lead!"

Sora drew and sneered. "All right!" he purred. He slapped a card facedown. "I'll end my turn with a facedown card."

Mitsuro looked at her hand as she drew. She withdrew a card and grinned. "I'll set one card facedown by giving up my Assault Ship." The vessel faded and a mist in the shape of another vessel appeared on her field. Sora noted that this shape was much larger than the others. What was it? "Then I set one more card facedown and I'll leave it at that."

Sora frowned as he drew. Now that he had his best cards, he might as well use them. "I activate Riku's Blade!" The same dark sword appeared on his field. "Now I'll sacrifice my Air Soldier to bring out Riku – Warrior of the Darkness (8/3200/2500)!" The same blue-haired man appeared on his field from the dark mist that enveloped the Air Soldier and absorbed it. Riku grabbed his blade and hefted it in his hands. "Now, I attack your facedown ship!"

"Activate Spellbinding Circle!" Mitsuro cried. Ever since she had left Duel Academy, she had combed through her brother's cards to find some good ones to enhance her deck even further. She chose a couple of Trap cards and some extra Spells to further her deck's effectiveness. Spellbinding Circle was one such Trap card. Sora's eyes widened as a mystical seal appeared above Riku and shot beams down to surround him.

"NO!" he cried.

"Yeah!" Mitsuro remarked, pumping her fist. "Try and beat that one, Sora!"

Sora growled. "I end my turn!" He looked down at his hand and smirked slightly as he eyed one of the cards in his hand.

"My draw now!" Mitsuro said. She drew her card and grinned. "I flip summon Aircraft Carrier (6/1300/1800)!" The mist around the ship suddenly vanished, revealing a sleek aircraft carrier with gleaming fighter jets on the deck. It dwarfed even USS Liberation in size. "Now I have the advantage," she said. "The reason why is because of this ship's specialty. Its effect allows me to look at your hand once per turn! And I choose to do so right now!" Three jets launched from the carrier's deck and streaked around the dueling arena, startling a few people. Sora yelped and tried to cover his hand, but it was useless. One of the jets caught a glimpse and beamed the info back to Mitsuro. The screen appeared on her Duel Disk and she frowned when she noted the cards and their effects. "Now I'll end my turn."

As Sora drew, she looked at her facedown card. '_With any luck, he'll play a Spell and I'll be able to counter it._' she thought.

"Now that it is my move," Sora remarked, "I'll activate Dark Aura Slash!" Riku's blade began to seethe with dark energy as he got ready to leap upward. "This card allows me to terminate any trap card on the field and I choose Spellbinding Circle!" The blade cut into the seal and terminated it, causing the beams to fade. "But, I can't attack as a result of using this card. So I'll end my turn."

Mitsuro frowned as she drew. She noticed that she had drawn USS Guardian. "Perfect!" she remarked. She looked up. "Now I'll give up my Navy Hospital Ship in order to summon out Destroyer Class – USS Guardian (5/2400/2400)!" The hospital ship faded as a sleek blue destroyer took its place, weapons armed and ready. "Then I activate Upgrade!" Extra cannons appeared on the ship's deck and loaded for combat. "This card boosts my ship's power by 500 points, so that means Guardian (+2900) can attack, and by paying 1000 life points, I can attack you directly!" The guns loaded and fired in sync, the shells bypassing Riku and striking Sora.

Mitsuro: 5500 – 1000 = 4500 Sora: 5500 – 2900 = 2100

"Then I end my turn," Mitsuro said. She had dealt him a major blow, and she knew it. All she could do now was hope for something to happen.

"What an amazing turn of events!" Daniel exclaimed. "Mitsuro has just made an excellent comeback! But Sora's got a plan, it seems."

Sora grinned as he drew. "He's right," he said. "And now I have Riku attack your Aircraft Carrier and sink it!" Riku leapt and ran right for the huge vessel. His blade began to seethe with dark energy again, seeming to grow larger in size until it was bigger than the carrier itself. He swung and the energy blade cut through the carrier, causing an explosion in the middle. The explosion tore the carrier into three pieces and the ship "sank", leaving only an oil stain on the holographic water. Sora grinned. "Oh, and Riku's special ability allows me to inflict the difference between their attack and defense points as damage to you. Then I'll end my turn."

Mitsuro yelped and brought up her Duel Disk to take the holographic shockwave.

Mitsuro: 4500 – 1400 = 3100 Sora: 2100

She snarled as she drew. "All right. This will help," she said. "Now I activate Salvage Yard!" A series of hooks and levers reached beneath the water and pulled up fragments of a ship. "This allows me to put a card from my Graveyard on top of my deck. Next I'll activate Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw 2 cards!" The goofy-faced green pot appeared and spat up two cards just as she drew from her deck. "Next I'll summon out Assault Ship (4/+2000/+1700) again. And you know that Light on the Horizon is still active, so my Assault ship gets 500 added points!" The ship's guns were loaded with more ammo and aimed at him. "Now, by giving up another thousand life points, USS Guardian can attack again!" The guns on her ship fired, sending their shells right for Sora. But he grinned.

"I activate Goofy's Shield!" he cried. "You remember this card, right?" The same shield appeared in front of him and took the full impact of the assault head on, leaving Sora untouched and his life points safe.

She snarled in frustration. "Damn!" she muttered. "I'll end my turn."

Mitsuro: 3100 – 1000 = 2100 Sora: 2100

Sora drew his card and grinned. "How about this one?" he asked. "You seem to have the upper hand now, but not for long because I activate Limitless Trinity!"

Mitsuro's eyes widened. "What? What does that do?" she asked.

"This!" Sora cried. "By giving up my strongest monster on the field, I can deal damage to both of us equal to the total attack points of that monster!" Riku suddenly began to glow, exploding two seconds later, sending the shockwave to them both.

"AH!" Mitsuro brought up her Duel Disk to take the shockwave, but since it was a hologram, it passed through her, leaving her unharmed physically. Her life points weren't so lucky.

Mitsuro: 2100 – 3200 = 0 Sora: 2100 – 3200 = 0

"Wow! That was unexpected!" Daniel yelled, his eyes flashing with excitement; it was clear he loved his job. "It looks like Sora managed to make this a draw! So as a result, neither one shall move on to the final duel!"

Mitsuro lowered her arm and looked at Sora. "You've gotten better," Sora remarked. "But still, you can't beat me."

"I nearly did," she said icily.

"We shall see. Maybe the next time we meet, I shall beat you," Sora said.

With that, he turned and walked off, leaving Mitsuro alone.

* * *

_That night…_

Mitsuro lay in her room in Antov's RV, thinking about X. There was so much she didn't know about the man, such as who he was, where he came from, what he was like, etc. She closed her eyes and turned over, listening to the big Russian snore in his sleep. She looked at her Duel Disk lying near her uniform. "Jason…"


	12. Prizes and Shadow Games

_Mitsuro receives the prizes for third place in the San Diego Duel Tournament. Then she goes out on an escort mission, but encounters a new type of Shadow Game! Can they win this one? Or will they lose big time?_

* * *

**Chapter 12 - Prizes and Shadow Games!**

Mitsuro stood with the other duelists on the dueling arena as Daniel smiled. "And that's that! We've reached the end of our 52nd Annual San Diego Duel Tournament! We'll now give out the prizes." He looked at each duelist. "Based on your dueling tactics and strategies, you each proved how good you can be. But, as it is with every tournament, there can only be one victor."

A blonde-haired, blue-eyed female duelist stepped forward. Daniel smiled. "Congratulations to Daniela Nelson of Madison, Wisconsin!" he said. You came in first place, so you have won the grand prize of a million dollars!" Daniela smiled as she waved to the audience. The announcer stepped forward and handed her a brand new deck, still in its case. "You also received this new deck and a chance to tour KaibaCorp!"

"Thank you," she purred.

With cheers echoing around her, she walked back to her place in the line.

Daniel turned back to them. "Next up is our second-place victor, George Alphonse from Paris, France!" A short, stocky man with a beret and mustache came forward. He waved to the crowd as he approached the announcer.

"It was fun to duel here," he remarked. "Although I wish I could have dueled the mademoiselle who saved us."

Daniel chuckled. "Wouldn't we all? Anyway, you've won a series of new booster packs, a five hundred thousand dollar prize, and a full cruise paid for by KaibaCorp!"

George grinned. "Thank you, monsieur," he said. He accepted the cards and headed back to the line.

"Now, as for third place, we have a bit of a tie, it seems, So therefore I'll pick the one who will get it by pure random choice," Daniel said. He closed his eyes and began pointing at Mitsuro and Sora. Mitsuro bit her lower lip as her heart began to pound. She hoped it wasn't Sora.

Daniel's finger stayed pointed at her. He opened his eyes and he smiled. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, it seems that Mitsuro Itachu of San Diego, California gets third place prizes!"

Cheers much louder echoed as she stepped forward, stunned. She had barely won, and she was given third place? This was an amazing achievement for her. It felt as if she was in a dream. She pinched herself in the arm to try and wake herself up, but she wasn't dreaming. It was real for her. She stopped and Daniel handed her a new booster pack. "You won a new booster pack, two hundred fifty thousand dollars in prize money, and a ten-month discount on new cards purchased at any card store!"

She took the pack and opened it, right then and there. She reached in and pulled out the cards, still shocked. The cards were of the next series in the Naval Liberation series. She looked at them and struggled to keep in her sobs.

* * *

"_ENOUGH!" his voice roared. He slammed a hand down on the oak table, startling those gathered there. "This is unacceptable! How dare my own cousin disobey me?"_

"_Sire, I can assure you that it is not his fault. It was his parents that told him those lies," the woman purred. "But if you want, we can take out your cousin…"_

"_Yes, do that!" he snarled. "He shall pay for his betrayal to my loyal Order of the Gods!"_

_The woman chuckled softly. "I will not let you down, my liege."_

"_I know you won't…" he whispered. "You never have let me down. And I know you will succeed."_

_With that, the woman faded from view and into the shadows, unaware of what was to come for her…_

* * *

**Location: En Route to Rendezvous Point**

**Time: 2000, 6:00 pm, Local Time**

**Timeframe: Three days after the Tournament**

Mitsuro looked at Antov and her assembled crew. "Antov, what's the deal with the escort?" she asked.

"We are to intercept and escort the KaibaCorp yacht to the port of San Diego. The Army will take over an hour into the route. But for now, it's just us and them," Antov replied.

"Good. So where are we supposed to intercept them?" Mitsuro asked as she looked out at the sea parting before the bow of her ship.

"We are to meet them ten miles off Hawaii," the Russian said.

"And just how long will that take?" Pearl asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Three days?"

"Actually, with our ship's engines, it should in theory take us only two hours, but due to the need to keep this secret, we'll meet them at the rendezvous point in two days," Antov said.

"Why the secrecy?" Jacob O' Riley asked.

"It's something the government doesn't want leaked out. I guess it has to do with how advanced our engines are," Antov replied with a shrug. "How should I know? I'm not a politician."

"Anyway, back on track. We're going to escort the KaibaCorp yacht to San Francisco, not San Diego, Antov. Didn't you pay attention at the briefing?" Pearl asked, crossing her arms. "Or were you too tanked up on vodka?"

Antov blushed a bit. "Okay! Maybe I was a bit out of it, but that's beside the point!" he protested. A couple of crew members snickered behind their hands.

"Anyhow, this is very important why?" Tai asked. He was leaning against one of the consoles, his arms folded across his chest.

"Remember, KaibaCorp is one of the biggest gaming companies on the planet. Seto Kaiba is worth a ton of money. And that's saying something when compared to their rival," Pearl remarked. "So it's very likely that someone will try to ambush him and hold him hostage."

"Pearl's right, guys," Mitsuro said. "So we need to be ready at all costs."

"All right. We'll be ready."

* * *

_The woman smirked as she appeared out of the darkness. She held up one of her cards and grinned. "All right. Time to let the fun begin!" she purred._

_She held it up and a Duel Disk on her arm activated. She slapped the card down and almost instantly, a blaze of golden-red light shot skyward. "It's time to find out how good these guys are!" she cried._

_A long, serpentine form uncurled from the light, becoming clearer and clearer with each passing second. The red scales glinted in the light shards and two eyes flashed. A mouth filled with teeth opened and a loud roar echoed across the ocean, startling a few tanker ships and sending them scurrying for safety in the nearest port of call._

_The sleek warship, however, was surprised and shocked by the beast above them._

_The woman cackled._

* * *

Mitsuro gaped in shock as the light from the serpentine form faded to reveal the beast in all its glory. She had heard of this creature from her friends, and surprisingly, from Yugi Muto's own son. She hadn't thought that it would be real!

"Is that…What is that thing?" Tai asked, his golden eyes widening at the sight of the dragon.

"That…That's Slifer the Sky Dragon!" Antov rasped. His eyes were wide too, but he was also shaking in fear.

"But how? Is there a major duel going on?" Pearl asked in a higher voice.

"No. Otherwise there wouldn't be this kind of energy," Hunter Watson said softly. All eyes on the bridge turned to face him. He had rarely said anything until now.

"What kind of energy are we talking about, Hunter?" Tai asked.

"I mean Shadow energy," the navigator said. "It's usually generated during Shadow Games. It's not hard to miss. It usually happens through a surge of power that leaves all electrical equipment down for a while. But somehow our ship's equipment was spared that." Hunter shook his head. "I don't know how."

"Hold on. How do you know about Shadow energy?" Mitsuro asked him.

Hunter rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I kinda study this stuff in my free time," he admitted.

"Then that will prove useful," the lieutenant commander said. "We could use that kind of knowledge." She looked back at the red dragon now circling menacingly over them. "Especially with this kind of stuff."

"Hold on one second, Commander!" Pearl snapped. "How in the world are we supposed to defeat that thing? We only have three duelists here out of the entire crew! You, Tai, and Antov are the only ones who can duel!"

"I know," Mitsuro remarked. "But something tells me that we may not need to duel in order to defeat Slifer." She looked out the window as she said those words. "I don't know how I know. I just do."

She turned back to face the crew. "So we're gonna try and stop Slifer, along with whoever summoned him. Anyone who wants to back out can if they wish to. I'm not gonna stop them."

No one budged.

Mitsuro smiled. "Good. Let's get to it!"

The crew smiled. "YEAH!"

* * *

The helicopter lifted off the deck of the ship without hesitation, its rotors beating the air in a fury. Its sleek shape dashed through the sky, becoming a blur as it streaked towards Slifer's menacing form. As it drew closer, Andrew Kowalski's eyes widened as he stared at the woman standing on top of the dragon's head.

He grabbed the radio and patched into the ship's communications systems. "This is Andrew," he said. "We've got a bit of a surprise here."

Mitsuro's voice echoed in the cockpit of the chopper. "_Go ahead._"

"Someone's standing on top of Slifer's head. I think that that's the person who summoned him!" the Polish chopper pilot exclaimed.

"_Then try and find out more. But—_" Her voice suddenly halted before she screamed into the comm. "_WATCH OUT!_"

Andrew glanced up and he gasped as Slifer's mouth opened. A beam of energy was forming in the depths of the Egyptian God's maw, growing larger before it launched in a massive laser. He pushed the controls of the copter down and the craft descended at an increasing pace, the beam streaking through the spot where the vehicle had been mere seconds before. The Polish man swerved the aircraft and dodged a swipe of Slifer's tail, but barely. "Geez! This is insane!" he yelped.

"_Tell me about it. Stay clear of him at all costs!_" Mitsuro said. "_I'm sending out Tai to help!_"

"Good idea! The more help I get the better!" Andrew exclaimed.

"_We'll also try to engage from the sea. Be careful and good luck!_"

"Will do! Thanks!" Andrew cut the communications and flipped a switch, arming a few depth charges. He pulled the chopper out of its dive and it arced upward. He swerved the craft, dodging Slifer's clawed hands as the God tried to send him crashing into the sea. The blazing red claws missed his aircraft as he spun the vehicle in midair, bringing the gun on the lower part of the chopper's nose to bear on the dragon's body. Andrew gritted his teeth and pressed the trigger on the console.

The gun roared like a buzz saw, bullets speeding out at high speeds and impacting against the iron-hard scales of Slifer's body. "Damn!" the big Pole swore. "How hard are those scales?"

At that moment, the woman laughed. Then she glanced at the chopper pilot with a glint in her obsidian black eyes. "You fools! You really think that minor impacts like that can harm Slifer the Sky Dragon? This is an Egyptian God you are dealing with!"

"Who are you?" Andrew snarled. "And what do you want?"

"I am here for that traitor!" the woman snapped.

"Traitor? What traitor!" the Polish man asked. "And don't tell us that we know, because we have no friggin' clue what you're blabbing about!"

The woman glared at him. "Are you accusing me of lying?"

"NO! I'm merely trying to tell you that we have no knowledge of any traitor!" Andrew roared. "And I suggest you back off now, or else!"

The woman let out a cackle as she threw her head back. "You fool! An Egyptian God card cannot be defeated by normal means! Slifer is immune to all damage you can throw at him with that puny peashooter you call a Gatling gun!" she crowed.

"_How about a series of missiles?_" Tai's voice roared as he sped into the fray. His Harrier looked like a reddish blur as it dashed through the battle. Streaks of grey flew past Andrew's helicopter, leaving fiery smoke in their wakes. Andrew grinned. Nothing could stop that assault!

A series of explosions echoed along the length of Slifer's draconic body, causing the beast to roar in agony and rage. But when the smoke from some of the explosions faded, there were only scorch marks, no real burns or damage done to his scales. Andrew let out a string of Polish curses that his father would be proud of.

"Fool! Nothing can penetrate through these scales!" the woman cried.

"Then we may as well take _you_ down!" Andrew yelled. He aimed his chopper's gun at a new target and fired, sending the bullets right for the woman. But she sneered and suddenly slapped a new card down on her Duel Disk.

A barrier went up around her and Slifer, leaving them untouched by the barrage of lead. "Not so fast, foolish humans! This is not a mere battle! This is a Shadow Game – Maximum!"

* * *

Mitsuro's eyes widened as she heard those words. She activated the communications system and spoke into it. "Shadow Game – Maximum? What's that?"

* * *

The woman heard the voice over the communications and sneered. "A Shadow Game – Maximum is not an ordinary Shadow Game. In this version, all Shadow energy that we possess is used to its fullest!" she said. "In short, I, Obsidian, will defeat you using every ounce of the powers that I possess! Not even your little tugboat's most powerful shells can stop me!"

"_How about this then?_" the female's voice roared.

Obsidian laughed as the guns on the small vessel aimed at Slifer. "Try me!"

"_Eat laser, freak!_" The guns roared in sync with each other, sending not shells, but _beams of light_ right for her and her monster!

Obsidian gasped as the beams struck the barrier around her, causing it to waver and shiver. "NO!" she screamed.

* * *

Tai grinned. "Nice shot, Mitsuro!" he said. "Now time to really kick it up to full speed!" He pushed the throttle on his jet forward and the engines increased in power output, causing him to be pushed back into his seat. He kept that grin on his face and he pushed one of the buttons, sending his fighter into a barrel roll just as Slifer's tail whipped through the air where he had been a few seconds beforehand.

The red dragon's eyes flashed in anger as the small fighter jet whipped past his head, releasing bullets from the guns mounted underneath its wings. They pinged off the barrier harmlessly, but Obsidian's eyes narrowed in anger, despite the fact that the small projectiles weren't getting through the shield she had erected a few minutes prior. She glared at them and held up another card. "Take this!" she roared.

She slapped it down onto her Duel Disk and almost immediately the sky was filled with meteors. The balls of flame impacted the water around the ship, forcing the helmsman to engage the ship's unique engines and thruster system to dodge each one. A few struck the ship's hull plating, but only moderate damage was done to the superstructure and deck plating.

Holes were torn into the vessel, but the meteors exploded on impact with the main deck. Tai stared in horror and shock as one of the meteors struck the bridge, causing a massive explosion. "NOOOOO!" he cried.

But as another meteor barely missed the ship, the passing wind caused the smoke to clear. To both Tai's surprise and relief, the bridge was intact, aside from the communications antenna being taken out. He sighed with relief. "Thank God…"

Obsidian's curses could barely be heard over the roaring fall of the last few meteors, yet Tai wasn't paying much attention to that. All he wanted to know was how the USS _Rising Dawn_ had survived an assault meant to sink it. There was no possible way… unless the ship was equipped with some kind of armor plating!

His eyes widened as he realized that it had to be plated in the new mineral called G-Steel, a very powerful type of steel that could withstand most direct shell hits. He knew that the mineral itself was created in space on America's new lunar colony and then shipped back to Earth to be used for military vehicles. However, since it was still in the testing stages, it was hard to even get the stuff for testing on tanks and aircraft!

How in the world had Mitsuro's ship been equipped with the stuff?

The squawking of the radio cut through his thoughts and he activated it. "What's going on?"

Andrew's voice radiated into the cockpit of his jet. "_Ishihara? You even paying attention here?_" he asked.

Tai blushed a bit beneath his helmet. "Sorry," he muttered.

"_Sorry isn't gonna cut it when we have to fish your sorry butt out of the sea!_" Andrew snapped. "_Now get back in there! We've gotta stop this girl before she goes nuts on other ships!_"

"Affirmative!" Tai said. He threw his plane into a sharp turn just as the woman snapped out an order to Slifer.

"FIRE ON THEM!" she screeched.

The dragon opened his mouth and that same beam of light from before powered up in the maw, glowing brightly. He reared back a bit, and then the beam fired!

"DODGE IT!" Tai and Andrew screamed at the ship as one, although they both knew that the AI couldn't hear them without their communications activated, and that it was a mere program, not an actual artificial intelligence.

The black-haired young man wished that it _was_ an actual AI and not just a supplemental program to help manage the ship's high-tech systems. He hoped that somehow, some_way_, the message would get through to the _Rising Dawn_.

* * *

Deep within the ship's systems, something stirred. It was very minor, a small subtle shifting of the engines and rudder to the left, followed by a very small shuttling of hydraulics. That small shifting was enough to put the vessel on an entirely new course, at least fifteen degrees to port. A very surprised Antov yelped as the steering wheel actually turned in his hands to port without him even doing it. He struggled to put the ship back on its previous course, but to his utter shock and disbelief, the vessel wasn't responding. The wheel was locked in position!

The _Rising Dawn_ turned to port just as the engines suddenly revved without a command from the engine room crew, the beam barely missing the vessel's stern and throwing up a huge wave of water that rocked the ship from bow to stern. The warship slowed down and Antov tested the wheel again, discovering to his shock once more that it could move freely again.

"What just happened?" he asked, looking at Pearl Winston. The white-haired woman just shook her head.

"I don't know myself," she whispered in shock.

Mitsuro approached Antov. "What in the world did that?" she asked.

The Russian shrugged. "I don't know, Commander. But somehow the ship responded to the incoming beam and dodged it…all without our commands."

"Do you think that it's possible the AI registered that attack and acted accordingly?" Hunter asked.

"I don't think so," Antov said softly. "Or else the ship's AI would be controlling the other systems of the ship, not just the ones it's programmed to control."

"He's right. But now we have to figure out a way to take down this lady and stop Slifer!" Mitsuro snapped.

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Hunter asked.

Mitsuro looked down sadly. "I don't know. This is my first time facing an Egyptian God card like this. I don't even know if we can win."

"Then why even fight if you think that?" Antov asked.

She looked up. "Because if we don't, then she will rain terror and destruction down on everyone. And we can't allow that to happen!" she snarled.

"So, what'll we do?" Pearl asked. "I mean, the lasers barely got through—" She suddenly perked up. "Wait. I have an idea!"

"Lay it on us," Hunter said with a sigh.

"The lasers nearly got through one time. So, we know that it's not that effective against laser firepower or energy weapons. That barrier isn't strong against them. Maybe one or two hits it can withstand, but not many," she said.

"And your point is?" Mitsuro asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Pearl grinned. "Why not keep attacking with the laser guns?"

Mitsuro stared in shock before she stuck a finger in her ear. "Did I hear right? You want us to keep firing the lasers?"

Pearl rolled her eyes. "Uh, duh! Of course! It's the only way to get through that barrier!"

Mitsuro smiled. "All right then. Let's do it!"

"YEAH!" everyone assembled there cried.

* * *

Obsidian chuckled to herself when she saw the ship turning back to face her and Slifer. But her chuckles stopped short when she saw the guns charging up for a second shot. "I don't think so!" she snarled.

But before she could slap a card down on her Duel Disk, a barrage of lasers fired from the guns, streaking through the darkness towards her. The beams slammed full force into the barrier, exploding against it and causing it to waver. She grunted as the shockwave ruffled her hair and cloak. "Not good!" she hissed.

The guns roared a second time, striking the barrier again, this time causing it to shatter. Obsidian yelped as pain suddenly lanced through her form, making her hiss in agony. "Damn!" she muttered.

* * *

Mitsuro saw the barrier shatter and she knew that this was their only chance. "Fire again! This time target her directly!" she barked.

"_Roger!_" the gunners said. The comm shut down and she turned to face the main control console.

"JAS-1, fire the remainder of the guns in sync with those of the other gunners!" she snapped.

"_Affirmative,_" the AI replied. "_Targeting… Locked. Guns arming… Ready to fire._"

"FIRE!" Mitsuro screamed.

The guns on the ship roared for the third and final time that night, followed by Tai firing a few shells from his jet's machine guns and Andrew firing the chopper's Gatling gun. The combined firepower was enough to cause Slifer great pain and agony. Obsidian screamed out as well as the beams penetrated through the dragon's red body and out the back, causing massive explosions down his tail and up toward his head. The explosions made the entire ocean shimmer and some of the shockwaves caused massive waves, as if the sea were cheering their victory with an awesome display of nature's power.

The final explosion made the entire ship shudder and Obsidian cried out as the last explosion consumed her and Slifer both. The only thing that still stood out was her Duel Disk, a sinister looking thing. The apparatus began to crack and shudder with the multicolored energy of Heaven, making the crew assembled there gasp in shock and awe.

Obsidian's Duel Disk then exploded in a blast of heavenly color, the shards falling down to the sea and the body of Slifer disintegrating into sparkles of light as it fell to earth. They watched this spectacle in awe for a long while.

Then Antov came to his senses. He cleared his throat, and everyone came to their own senses. "C'mon. Don't we have an escort to carry out?" he asked.

Everyone nodded.

Within fifteen minutes, both Tai's jet and Andrew's chopper were back down on the deck of the destroyer and they were heading out to the rendezvous with the yacht of KaibaCorp's CEO.


	13. The Escort

_The USS _Rising Dawn _managed to complete its escort mission, but at the same time deep within the alternate realm, conflict between an elusive Rebellion, forbidden religion, and the ruler was rising. Then, after a week of repairs, the ship arrived back at sea. But the peace the crew enjoyed was cut short when their ship suddenly sailed into a wormhole that they unknowingly generated themselves. As the ship plummeted to its certain doom, the crew can only hope for one thing: survival!_

* * *

**Chapter 13 - The Escort**

The USS _Rising Dawn_ arrived right on schedule to commence the escort. The captain of the KaibaCorp yacht, a man with green eyes and brown hair named Jacob Withers, was surprised to see the destroyer damaged and battered. Had it been in some kind of fight?

A soft chime alerted him as to the entrance of the CEO of KaibaCorp himself. He turned just as he entered the bridge.

Time had taken its toll on Seto Kaiba. His hair was now longer, all the way down to the nape of his neck, and it was no longer brown, but a silvery gray. His face was marked by a few wrinkles here and there, while his eyes still shimmered with that steely coldness he was well known for. His body had changed as well, but unlike most men at his age, his body was very lean and still very healthy. He still stood tall, and while his shoulders held that slight stoop that always came with age, he wasn't like some helpless old man.

He had on his trademark white cloak and his usual outfit, but with an addition to it. On the left shoulder was a small pin of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, one of the most powerful Duel Monsters cards in existence. Only three existed, and he owned them all.

"Is that the escort ship?" Seto asked with a hint of disgust in his voice. "It sure doesn't look like a modern naval vessel."

"It looks like it, but I can assure you that that vessel out there is our escort," Jacob assured him.

Seto snorted. "Fine. Just get us en route to the United States."

"Yes, sir," Jacob said. He turned and walked over to the controls for the yacht. He grabbed the steering wheel and rang the engine room crew, ordering full steam ahead. The ship's engines vibrated with the power pulsing through them before the propellers began to bite at the water. The yacht's wake began to form and the battle-worn warship kept pace.

He watched as the US destroyer finally came alongside and kept an even pace with them. Now he could see the damage that it had sustained in whatever fight it had been in. The top was pitted with craters and scorch marks while the deck was filled with holes that barely reached into the ship's vital areas. The superstructure also had a nasty crater in the top, and most of the windows were blown out. However, the guns still looked as if they could fire, which he found to be a relief. And the wake indicated that the engines were still running smoothly.

When he felt Seto's cold gaze on him, he returned his gaze to the gauges.

Seto nodded as he looked back at the ship beside his yacht. He didn't know why such a ship was assigned to him. It certainly looked like it was destined for the scrap yard, but something told him that it wasn't meant for the scrappers at all.

He wasn't very familiar with naval vessels or naval combat at all, for that matter. So he had no idea that the so-called "dilapidated" warship was only damaged. He turned away from the windows and headed back out of the bridge.

* * *

_USS _Rising Dawn

Mitsuro looked out at the yacht beside her ship. It was an amazing thing from what she could see. The sleek lines and graceful design reminded her of some of the luxury yachts she had seen over the years growing up. The colors were very typical of Seto Kaiba, with blue-white lines on a sleek silvery hull. On the side of the yacht an image of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon stood out with wings fully spread as if it was ready to pounce on anyone observing the design. The radar mast stood tall and proud, yet sleek and aerodynamic. The stern rumbled with two twin diesels, beasts of great horsepower that propelled the vessel through the water at high speeds, much like her own ship to an extent.

The name on the bow read _Blue-Eyes_. Mitsuro rolled her eyes. Typical of him.

Antov adjusted the warship's speed, trying to avoid hitting the yacht. He glanced at his commander as he did so. "I guess this is where the escort begins?"

Mitsuro nodded. "Yeah. From here on out, it's just us and them."

* * *

_Across the barrier of separation, the man snarled as he paced in his office. How dare his own cousin betray the "gods"! And all for some silly legend that didn't even exist! He turned and grabbed one of the chairs, throwing it out the window and shattering the glass at the same time. The wind blew through the old building, sending an eerie moan throughout. It seemed to fit the mood at the time._

_He stormed away from the window and slumped down in his seat, looking out the window. He fumed to himself, furious at this so-called Rebellion. So far they had thwarted his plans to send out his naval vessels to this new world, which his cousin had escaped to for some unknown reason._

_The man pondered his cousin's recent actions, trying to make sense of them. All he knew was that his cousin had found something of great importance and had hidden it from him. Whatever it was, it was now missing and he knew that it had been removed from this forsaken realm. If that happened, then there was good reason for it._

_He buried his head in his hands and rubbed his temples. He wanted to find out more about these legends himself and see what it was that made them such a threat to his reign, but at the same time he knew it was dangerous. So he made his decision._

_He stood and sent out a summons._

_Less than two minutes later, a man appeared near his location. He bowed to him and spoke softly. "What is it you request, my lord?"_

_He grinned. "Find me these legends that caused my cousin to betray us and bring them here. I want to find out what they are capable of…"_

_The soft-spoken man nodded. "As you wish, my liege."_

_He vanished a second later. The man nodded with satisfaction. The mere prospect of success made him feel great at this moment, but something was also warning him of the danger that lurked in those legends. He knew what this little voice was: the power he possessed._

_And the man he had sent to do the job was perfect. Emotionless, drained of his soul, and turned into a mere pawn. He chuckled evilly._

_Yes. These legends would soon become no more than mere shadows of their former selves._

_But what he didn't realize was the fact that these very legends were not powerful because of their words, but because of their ideals…_

* * *

_Hidden beneath the sea in this forsaken realm lay a temple, built by the previous inhabitants to conceal and protect their ideals from evil hands. This temple wasn't built out of stone, but rather, out of the finest metal the world possessed at the time of its destruction. The world's most advanced engineering was put into it, and the defenses were created to be able to withstand the tests of time and to ensure that no one but the right people would see the legends of yore. Such defenses and engineering were what made the temple a thing of the past, a relic of the gods to those who wished, or even dared, to believe in hope and a better future. Therefore, many expeditions went out to try and find it, but none of them returned alive. Only bodies and debris from the submarines or vessels used by the "gods" were found by those of the elusive and forbidden Futurism religion._

_This temple was, however, not meant to be found by the Futurists. Instead, the religion dictated that Six Guardians of the Temple be selected each generation to guard its secrets and knowledge until the Chosen Ones came to claim it. These Six Guardians were the best duelists they had, and each one possessed a deck built around one of the elements: Light, Dark, Fire, Air, Earth, Water, and were called as such. As part of their code, these Guardians wore clothes based around their chosen element, and they also possessed Duel Disks fashioned after their element. The Futurists were led by a man who called himself the Master of Legends, and he was the only one of the Futurists to possess a ship of the gods, an advanced vessel that held secrets from long ago._

_The test for the Chosen Ones was simple: they had to take on the Master of Legends. If they proved themselves, then they were the Chosen Ones, and were therefore granted access to the temple._

_Such a test was about to be proven when the least expected people arrived to find and seek out the secrets of the Order of the Gods…_

* * *

The lights of San Diego glimmered in the night, making Mitsuro smile. They had just completed their escort, and were now heading back to the base to get the ship repaired. It would take a while, she guessed, to replace the ship's damaged armor plating, but other than that, the ship was intact, a very rare miracle at all. In truth, she hadn't been expecting the vessel to stand up to such an assault. It made her proud to know that American armor technology had advanced dramatically since the end of the War on Terror.

It took half an hour to reach the dry dock and soon, the crew had arrived at Antov's RV. The thirty of them all had to squeeze in, but despite the small size on the outside, it was actually quite roomy on the inside. Antov looked back at their commander and grinned. "You know, I think it's time we have a bit of a drink," he said.

"What? Why?" Tai asked.

Antov turned and headed over to the fridge. "Well, I never mentioned this, but…" As he opened the door and grabbed the drinks, he told the rest of the crew about the tournament and Mitsuro's victory. He even made a mention of the Shadow Game, which made several of them gasp in shock and Henry looked at her in horror, fearful of something. Mitsuro calmly assured them that she was fine, and she even told them about X and the new card and bullet she had obtained from him.

That whole time, everyone was silent. They were shocked that Mitsuro had won against Bella in a Shadow Game, but to be told the truth about her brother's disappearance and given a card that possessed unheard of power was a real shocker in itself. This whole thing made her crew relieved that she had survived. And the fact that she came in third in the tournament made them proud of her.

"So _that's_ why you wanted to have a drink with us," Pearl murmured with a smile on her face.

Antov nodded. "Yeah. So, let's kick it off!" he cried, holding up some drinks. Everyone on the crew nodded and they grabbed their choice of drink.

It didn't take long for some of them to get into the spirit of things. It was a party that they never forgot. A few times some of the crew, especially the gunners, got right onto the table and did some dances that made everyone else roar with laughter. Even Mitsuro found herself caught up in the moment. When Zeke did a very…unusual…dance, every female wolf-whistled and a few of the men threw out catcalls for the fun of it. It was perhaps the best time of her life. No other night was as memorable as this one.

When the party ended, she and her crew headed back to their respective houses for the night to work off their drinks.

Mitsuro crawled into bed after a hot, refreshing shower and fell asleep, grinning to herself. In her opinion, her crew was becoming the best she had ever served with.

* * *

_Deep within the temple, the Six Guardians stood gathered close to the entrance. The Master of Legends stepped out of the shadows to face them. He was a small man, not even five foot five, and he had a mass of white hair that hung down over his shoulders and went to the middle of his back. He had a full white beard and walked with the aid of an intricately carved cane made of metal, the same kind as the temple. He wore a simple white robe and gi pants, his bare chest revealed in the dim lighting._

"_Ah…So you have received my summons," he noted._

_The Six Guardians, four men and two women, bowed. They got down onto one knee and placed their left hands on that knee, lowering their heads until they touched their left hands. "We serve only the Legend Master, and we guard the Secrets of the Temple," they said in unison, reciting the chant they had been taught._

_He smiled. "Rise, my Guardians."_

_Slowly, the Guardians stood._

"_So…it has begun, has it not?" he asked._

_The Guardian of the Earth nodded. "Yes, Master. The War is about to reach its climax. The Rebellion's key member, X, has fled this realm and appeared in another. He brought the card with him and gave it to the one he hopes can use it."_

_The Guardian of the Water looked at him. "What of the one called Matthew Luther?" she asked._

_The Earth Guardian shrugged. "I do not know. That is beyond what I have learned."_

"_What say you, Wind Guardian?" the Master of Legends asked._

_She nodded. "I have heard that he is returning to the Site of Portals, also called Duel Academy in the new realm. He hopes to be able to make a difference, although there are now two that can make a difference. Both Matthew Luther and the woman called Mitsuro Itachu have the power to withstand His reign."_

_The Master of Legends bowed his head thoughtfully and nodded sagely. "I see…What of the woman's brother?" he asked, looking at the Fire Guardian._

_The man looked at his master. "I have been unable to find anything about him," he murmured softly. "I have failed you, and as a Guardian of the Temple."_

_The Master stepped closer to him and place both his hands on his shoulders. "It does not matter. Failure is a part of being a Guardian. You have done your best, and I am proud of you for that. However, since you failed, that means that the woman will have no idea of his whereabouts or location."_

"_Then she will have to find him on her own," the Dark Guardian murmured from the shadows._

_The Master looked in her direction. "I understand that. And in order to do so, she must rely on her crew and herself."_

_He then turned to the Light Guardian, who had his head bowed in thought. The Guardian opened his eyes as soon as he sensed his master's gaze upon him. "Master, I have a thought," he said._

"_Speak, my Guardian," the Master said softly._

"_What if they are the Chosen Ones?" the Light Guardian asked. "I mean, the card that X stole was not made for us. Not even I could have used it. Only the Chosen Ones are said to be able to wield this card and travel between our realms."_

_The Dark Guardian scoffed. "The legends may dictate it so, but if we cannot test them, then we have to assume that they are not."_

_The Master of Legends had his head bowed again, and he closed his eyes, listening to the murmurings of his own thoughts and the murmurings of the ancient temple's workings. Then he opened his eyes. "They shall be coming shortly," he said suddenly. "I have heard it from the Temple itself."_

_All the Guardians tensed, knowing instantly of which their master was speaking. "M-Master…If the Temple says it is so… Then does that mean…?" The Water Guardian whispered, his voice filled with awe and wonder._

_The Master nodded. "Yes, my children. They are coming."_

"_May I inquire as to who they are?" the Light Guardian asked._

_The Master of Legends looked back at an image of a ship sailing on the high seas, its metallic bow shining in the light and the guns armed and ready to fire at an enemy ship in the distance. His old face gained a serenity that only those speaking the name of the divine could have. He walked forward and held out his cane, touching the tip reverently to the numbers inscribed on the ship's hull._

"_They are…of the _Rising Dawn_," he whispered._

_The Guardians, upon hearing the name, suddenly turned to face the image as one, and lined up in the order of their elements. They then bowed once again, touching their foreheads to their left hands. "We serve only the Legend Master and we guard the Secrets of the Temple," they chanted. "We guard the Secrets of the Temple, and we shall serve the Chosen Ones!"_

* * *

The next few days saw the repair teams at the San Diego Naval Base working to repair the damage done to the USS _Rising Dawn_ during that last battle. It didn't take long to fix the armor and replace the penetrated hull plates, allowing the ship to be returned to sea in less than a week. During that time, Mitsuro dueled against Antov to test out her deck's abilities once she added the new cards. Much to their surprise, it worked better than she had hoped. Tai even requested a duel against her, and she surprisingly beat him, but after a hard duel.

So now, a week after the escort, the crew was back at sea, enjoying the sun as the ship's bow cut through the waves easily. It was an amazing feeling to Mitsuro as she stood on the bridge of the vessel. She always loved the feeling of power as the ship charged headlong into waves that could have stopped a smaller naval vessel short. Her ship's unique engines throbbed with power, pushing the _Rising Dawn_ through the surf easily.

"So, anything new on the agenda?" Tai asked teasingly from behind her. She turned to face him and shook her head.

"No. Everything's good, Tai."

Tai grinned. "All right. If you say so."

Mitsuro turned back to face the sea. "I'm just wondering about something X told me…"

"What? X told you something?" Tai asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Mitsuro nodded. "Yeah. He said something about our ship now being able to travel between realms at will."

"I remember you mentioned something like that at the party a week ago, but I guess I must've forgotten," Tai muttered.

"Yeah. That's what he said to me," Mitsuro said. "And I'm beginning to wonder if we can even do it."

Tai shrugged. "Why not just ask the rest of the crew to help you figure it out? I'm sure we can come up with something."

But Mitsuro shook her head. "I don't think it's that simple. He said we can do it at _will_, not—"

She suddenly stopped speaking as she noticed a mysterious mist beginning to form around their ship. Tai stared as well before the mist began to grow darker, almost like something was happening. The waves seemed to stop, along with everything else except the ship's systems. A strange feeling was filling their bodies, almost like they were being torn apart and reassembled atom by atom at the exact same time. Then, the ship suddenly plummeted downward, right into a black abyss, from which no light ever returned.


	14. Secrets Revealed  Part 1

_The USS _Rising Dawn _wound up in the alternate realm, and to the surprise of everyone there, they found that this realm is actually a parallel universe in which all civilization, save for themselves, is destroyed. They were about to go ashore in the ruins of San Francisco when a barrage of missiles appeared out of nowhere. Then the ship began to act on its own, without a helmsman or engine room crew giving orders to the systems and functions! Around this same time, however, a form wasd struggling to "reach out" and escape his captors. Does this have anything to do with her brother's disappearance and the ship's strange behavior? What else will they discover in this new realm?_

* * *

**Chapter 14 - Secrets Revealed - Part 1**

Mitsuro and her crew all gaped in shock as the bow of the USS _Rising Dawn_ began to slip into the depths of the blackness below them. The powerful engines that provided their ship with incredible speed were also proving to be its downfall. Mitsuro began to struggle to reach the main console to ring up the engine room, but the sudden slip as the entire length of the warship went over threw her against the back wall, right in front of the windows. With some difficulty, she managed to turn over and her body plastered itself against the wall again. This time, she could see the blackness rushing past their ship, almost as if it were traveling through a cloud or whirlpool. The whine of the engines died off and Mitsuro knew why: without seawater, the ship had no power. And without power, the engines didn't work; nor did anything else.

The wind whistled past their ship, sounding just like a missile's shriek, but much more muffled.

She had no idea how long they fell through that wormhole. But then, just as swiftly as it had begun, it ended when her vision blacked out.

It was only for a minute, but when she opened her eyes, she was surprised to see the crew staring out at the sea before their ship. She scrambled to her feet and ran over to the window, also joining them in staring in shock.

They were back in the alternate realm.

"Guys…Are we back in that realm?" Zeke asked softly.

Antov nodded. "Yes, Zeke. We are."

Mitsuro turned back to the crew. "All right. It seems we managed to get back here…"

Tai nodded. "Yeah. But how?"

"I think it was that weird tunnel we fell through," Andrew said.

"Hold on. If we fell through that tunnel, then wouldn't our ship be underneath water by now?" Pearl asked.

"Yeah…I have to agree that it is strange," Mitsuro said. She turned back to the Russian helmsman. "Antov, can you get us on a course?"

Antov stepped up to the console and nodded. "Sure. But which direction do you wish to go?"

Mitsuro shrugged. "Any direction."

He nodded. "I'll just head in the direction that we're facing."

It didn't take long because soon the engine room crew were back in the engine room. The engines throbbed with power as the ship began to speed through the water at half its full speed. Mitsuro watched the sea speeding past the _Rising Dawn_, a strange look on her face. Something about this place seemed a bit familiar, but at the same time, not. She didn't know why she was feeling like this.

At least until the warship emerged near a familiar rock…

Tai's eyes widened as he recognized the rock as being that of the former prison, Alcatraz. But the prison itself was no longer standing. Only walls and ruins remained there. A jungle was beginning to form there, but the plants were more sinister looking, an effect enhanced by the mist around them. "That's…That's Alcatraz…" he murmured, his voice hoarse.

"Huh?" Mitsuro turned and her eyes widened as she saw the familiar landmark. "No way! What happened?" she cried.

Tai shrugged. "I don't know…"

Zach Hobart looked at the structure looming overhead, his eyes widening. "No…" he whispered.

Mitsuro glanced over at him. "What's wrong, Zach?" she asked.

He merely pointed at the overhead structure. Mitsuro glanced up and her eyes widened in shock. "That's…the Golden Gate Bridge?" she asked, stunned at the ruined condition of the former famous bridge.

Zach nodded. "Yes."

The Golden Gate Bridge was giving into a state nearing collapse, with vines, moss, and the cables beginning to decay. The sight made Mitsuro shiver. The once great transportation bridge was now nothing more than a mere shadow of its former self. But that wasn't the real shocker. What really shocked them was the sight of the city of San Francisco itself.

The entire crew on the bridge gasped in shock, let out exclamations of disbelief and horror as the _Rising Dawn_ approached. The exclamations and shouts were enough to get the engine room crew up from the depths of the destroyer, their eyes wide in shock and horror as they entered the bridge and saw the sight before them.

The city that was once the best city port in California was now nothing more than a ruin of itself. Buildings were devastated, and some walls remained standing. Trees were overcoming parts of the city itself, returning it to a jungle-like state, but with more of a sinister atmosphere. Roads were cracked, cratered, and destroyed by some unknown power. Cars were overturned, trucks were piled along the sides of the roads, boats were sunk or sinking at their docks, trolleys lay abandoned, etc. Debris of every type littered the cracking sidewalks, and every now and then, a few fires flickered amongst the jungle of steel and wood. Near one of the old customs buildings, a tattered US flag still flew, somehow having survived the ravages of time and war, a marker of the former United States itself.

"No…" Mitsuro murmured.

The entire crew of the USS _Rising Dawn_ instantly knew where they were.

They were home…

But not in the way they thought possible.

"This…This can't be right!" Tai cried. He slammed his fists on the glass of the bridge windows, tears streaming down his face. "This can't be home!"

"I'm sorry, Tai. But it is," Antov murmured. He had set the ship's autopilot, enabling the AI to guide them as close to shore as possible.

"This can't be right," Tai repeated. "I've seen terrible things, but this… This can't be real!"

Antov placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "I know it's hard to accept."

Mitsuro, however, feared the worst. She turned and barked out an order to the ship's AI. "JAS-1, stop all engines! Drop anchor!"

The AI responded without a word. That unnerved Mitsuro. It was as if the AI sensed the mood on board and didn't want to interrupt it. She laughed a bit and shook her head. That wasn't possible and she knew it.

The crew stared for a long while at the scene of destruction before them. It was hard to comprehend the destruction of their home, especially when they had been there only a few days ago! It seemed like forever until the ship's engines throbbed for a moment, startling them out of their shocked states.

Mitsuro glanced at the main console, her eyes filled with confusion. What was happening? Why had the ship's engines throbbed at the precise moment when they had been too lost in their own thoughts? What was happening?

She had no time to ponder this phenomenon because then the vessel stopped all motion entirely. Mitsuro turned back to the bridge windows, peering out at the ruins of the great city. It was so strange, to be staring at San Francisco's ruins. A strange feeling filled her heart and tears pricked at her eyes. She closed her eyes and let the tears fall down her cheeks.

Antov stepped closer and placed his hand on her shoulder. She turned and buried her face in his chest. He was startled slightly by the action, but then he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her in a comforting gesture. The other crew members present bowed their heads or looked away from the scene.

It seemed to Mitsuro that this lasted for a good long while. But then…

Almost instantly, the engines of the _Rising Dawn_ kicked in and the ship moved, this time without Antov at the helm! It was almost as if the ship had a mind of its own, and it was reacting to something only it could see. The sudden acceleration of the ship threw the entire crew off its feet, right onto the floor of the bridge.

A sudden barrage of missiles seemed to appear out of nowhere as the vessel backed up before turning sharply, even though no one was at the helm. The magnetohydrodynamic engines kicked in, suddenly whining with unbelievable power as sea water was drawn in through the tubes and stripped free of its electrons. The six pump jets shuddered and whined as the water was forced out through them at high speeds, similar to a fighter jet's thrust. The hydrofoils extended automatically, stabilizing the destroyer.

Antov staggered to his feet and ran for the helm. "Okay!" he muttered. "Something odd is going on and I don't like it!" He grabbed the helm, but some unknown power was keeping the steering wheel in place, almost like it was frozen. He suddenly burst out swearing in Russian. Mitsuro didn't need a translator to know that those were cusswords.

The lieutenant commander ran over to one of the windows and peeped out, the wind teasing her hair. The missiles were gaining speed and closing fast.

She turned back to Antov. "We have incoming missiles!" she cried.

"What, don't you think I know that?" the Russian snapped. He struggled against the helm, but it was still frozen in place. "The damn helm's frozen!"

"If only we had control, then we could use the guns to blow them up!" Tai muttered angrily as he sat up and rubbed his head.

Suddenly, the _Rising Dawn_ spun, throwing everyone back to the floor. The ship was coming to a stop, and then…

The guns swung about and roared…all of them. Lasers sped out of the barrels, along with high-speed shells, and exploded against the missiles. The first broadside ever in over a hundred and seventy years.

The missiles blew up, sending pieces of debris through the sky and clanging off the destroyer's armor…

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

_A pitiful human form glanced up, his eyes haggard and sunken into his flesh. He was panting, sweat streaking down his face and becoming lost in the tangle of beard on his lower face. His uniform was torn and tattered, his long hair lanky and greasy from lack of washing. The effort of "reaching out" of this prison was still too great for him, and it took a toll on his body, he knew. But he was determined to "reach out" and break free, even if it meant casting his human body aside for the safety of another form._

_He vaguely recalled how he had learned the technique of "reaching out" from another prisoner, and of how he had begun to use it in an attempt to get free from the horrific fate he knew was coming._

_The shadows around his arms and legs bit into his flesh, an ever present pain that never seemed to go away or diminish with the passage of time. He could hear someone calling to him and he closed his eyes, recalling himself. When he opened his eyes again, he could vaguely make out the form of one of the prisoners._

"_Any luck?" he asked._

_The man nodded. "Yeah…" he rasped. He had a smile on his face, the first one in over ten years. "There's a ship here."_

"_So?" the other man asked. "How's that very significant? Ships come and leave here all the time!"_

_But the man shook his head. "No. You don't get it. That ship is _here_," he said. Pain suddenly racked his body and he coughed, blood splattering onto his clothing. He looked up, panting again, blood running down from his mouth. "It's not from this place."_

"_Then where is it from?" the second man wondered._

_The first man kept smiling. "My home, Jonas. My home."_

_Jonas blinked his eyes. "Are you sure?" he asked, his hoarse voice seeming even worse in its whispered state._

_He nodded. "Yeah."_

"_Did you manage to 'reach' it?" Jonas asked._

"_Yes. It took some time, but I managed to." He coughed. "How much longer before I can fully transfer?"_

_Jonas shrugged as best he could within his bindings. "I don't know. I never used it as much as you are," he said._

_The man looked down at the floor of their shared cell. "I see…" Then he looked up and faced his fellow captive. "I'm gonna try to transfer."_

"_WHAT?" Jonas's cry echoed throughout the old prison. "You what? Are you even serious? Once you begin, there's no going back!"_

"_I know," the man whispered. "But it's the only way to get free from this place!"_

"_But 'reaching out' has never been used to escape before!" Jonas protested. "The last attempt ended in failure!"_

"_I know. You told me." He shivered as he remembered the story of the last captive who tried to escape by "reaching out" and transferring. Chico had been his name. After three months of "reaching out", he found and focused on a freighter that had been yanked from his home and tried to transfer to it. But he died in the process, his soul becoming one of the many shadows that bound the two remaining men in the cell to the walls._

"_But I have to try!" he insisted._

_Jonas shook his head. "Just wait a bit. If this ship doesn't prove itself to be from your home it could mean your death."_

_He nodded, but reluctantly. "Fine. I'll wait."_

_Jonas sighed with relief._

_But he wasn't about to lie around and wait for the end. He closed his eyes and relaxed. It was time to form a plan…_

* * *

Mitsuro and her crew once again had control of their ship, a thing that unnerved them greatly. Normally their ship didn't act like this. Something was bothering them, so they decided to try and figure this out. A meeting was called once the ship had gotten a safe distance from the ruins of San Francisco and was safely sheltered behind the ruins of Alcatraz.

The bridge crew turned up just in time for the meeting.

Mitsuro looked out the bridge windows at the ruined prison for a moment before Antov spoke. "Commander, we're here." She turned at his voice and nodded.

"All right. Now let's try and figure this out." She sat down in the commander's chair while the rest of the crew leaned against the walls and consoles or sat on the floor with their legs crossed.

"Just what happened back there?" Pearl asked.

Antov shrugged. "I honestly have no idea myself, Pearl," he said. "All I know is that the entire ship was acting as if it had a mind of its own, which as you know is impossible."

"And that's what we need to figure out," Mitsuro said. "Why was the ship acting that way? And for what purpose?"

"I have no idea," Hunter remarked from his position by the radar console. He shrugged. "But for some reason, it felt as if the entire vessel was…shaking…" He tapped the floor of the bridge with his boot. "The vibrations that I felt were not from the engines."

"Huh?" Henry looked over. "You felt the ship _shaking_?" he asked. Disbelief etched itself onto his face. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"Hold on. I think that Hunter may be on to something," Tai said. "I felt it, too."

"You did?" Mitsuro asked, looking at him.

Tai nodded. "Yeah. And on top of that, remember during that Shadow Game with Obsidian? Didn't the helm freeze up that time?" He looked at Antov.

The Russian nodded. "Yes. It did. I thought it was a glitch until now."

Tai looked back at Henry. "It happened twice so far, which means that something is either trying to take control of the ship or aid us in some way."

"But what?" Mitsuro asked.

Henry's eyes, however, widened at the mention of something trying to take control of their ship. "Are you serious?" he cried.

Tai nodded. "Yeah. I'm afraid so. Normally ships don't do stuff like this, not even if they have a full AI program installed."

"But the _Rising Dawn_ doesn't have a full AI program!" Hunter protested.

"Don't you find that a bit odd?" Tai asked.

Hunter blinked a bit, caught off guard by the remark. Then he became serious and stepped closer. "All right, Tai. What's going on? Are you hiding something?"

Tai shook his head. "No. In fact, I don't even think that you'll accept my theory as to why the ship did what it did," he murmured.

"Just tell us," Mitsuro said.

Tai looked at her, then nodded. "All right. Here's what I think is happening: someone or some_thing_ is trying to take control of our ship for some reason. I don't know whether it's to harm us or to help us." He looked at each of the present crew members. "Do any of you know Mitsuro's brother, Jason, by any chance?"

Everyone there nodded. "Duh, of course!" Pearl remarked, rolling her eyes. "We were briefed, remember?"

"Well, here's what I think: he's the one trying to take control of the _Rising Dawn_." Tai's simple remark struck home with each of them. They looked at one another, stunned that he would even be trying to do such an act. If so, what was the cause?

"Hold on!" Pearl snapped. "How could he be trying to take control of the ship? It just doesn't make any sense."

"I agree on that one, Pearl. While I agree that your theory is a good one, Tai, something just seems off about it. There is no way that he could be trying to take over this destroyer. He would either be dead or his mind would be adrift here," Antov said softly.

"Then what do _you_ think is the explanation for this kind of activity?" Tai asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Antov just shrugged.

"Thought so," Tai muttered.

"Okay. So now that that's settled, any idea as to where this goddamn place is?" Pearl snapped suddenly.

"Hold on, Pearl." Mitsuro held out a hand. "Tai, what makes you think that it's my brother doing this?" she asked.

Tai shrugged. "To be honest, I don't know myself. I came up with that theory based on what you told us."

"Oh." Mitsuro looked back at Pearl. "Now, as for where we are, that's easy."

"It is?" Hunter asked, stunned.

Mitsuro nodded. "Yeah." She stepped over to the bridge windows and peered out at the destroyed prison within the mist. The others followed her lead and they looked out with her. "This… This is X's home realm, guys." She was silent for a few minutes more. "And this is where we'll no doubt find answers as to Matthew Luther's heritage…and my brother's disappearance as well."


	15. Secrets Revealed Part 2

_Mitsuro and her crew began to investigate the ruins of San Diego in an attempt to find information pertaining to Matt's heritage. Mitsuro and Antov found a village and planned to investigate while Tai and Hunter stumbled onto a duelist who had information pertaining to Matt. Tai was challenged to a duel, and he accepted. But can Tai win his first Shadow Game? Or will he perish?_

* * *

**Chapter 15 - Secrets Revealed - Part 2**

"Matt came from this place?" Pearl asked.

Mitsuro shook her head. "No. He didn't. At least, I don't think so. All I can say is that it's a guess at this point." She looked back at the city's ruins, studying them. "But somehow he is connected to this place. And I'm determined to find out what that connection is!"

"So, we're just supposed to go investigate this place?" Pearl asked her, narrowing her eyes.

Mitsuro looked back at her crew and nodded. "Yep. That's the gist of things."

They all looked at one another, as if unsure of what to do. It wasn't the first time they wound up in a situation like this. And so far to investigate seemed like the only way to find a method of leaving, so that left only one choice.

Tai stepped forward. "Well, since we're stuck here, we may as well check it out."

The rest of those present nodded in agreement.

Mitsuro smiled. "Thanks guys."

Antov took the helm and rang the engine room, asking for half speed. The crew responded by getting the engines up and running. The USS _Rising Dawn_ slowly inched forward, gathering speed until the vessel rounded the ruined prison island of Alcatraz. As they left the island behind, Mitsuro looked back and felt a shiver run through her body. Something seemed off there…

She turned back to the front of the bridge and watched as the ruins of the port city filled the bridge windows. The sleek grey destroyer worked its way through several other ships that had sunk partially into the mucky bottom, their sterns or bows sticking up through the water and into the sky. As they sailed past one such ship, the state of the vessel made Mitsuro turn away from it. The sight of seeing an aircraft carrier sinking into nothing but rust and memory made tears form in her eyes.

The _Rising Dawn_ approached one of the few remaining docks and shortly later, the anchors dropped into the water. The ramp extended from the ship down to the dock and latched into place as best as it could. Mitsuro and several crew members stepped off the ship and onto the dock.

* * *

"_So…they have finally arrived," the man purred, his eyes flashing eagerly as they began to explore the ruins of the city. From his perch in the bombed-out office, he had a very good view of their location and where they were traveling. The crew from the ship spread out, and as he watched, they began probing the old ruins for anything that could give them a clue as to what they were looking for._

"_Now, time to see if they're as good as he claims…"_

* * *

The entire place was unlike anything they had seen. The ruins of the city stood out to them in full detail now that they were off the ship and in the middle of it all. The trees that now struggled to take over the skyline loomed overhead and a few branches stuck out of some blown out windows. Vines and ivy now crawled up the sides of the buildings, adding an eerie feel to the place.

Mitsuro shivered involuntarily.

Antov noticed this and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay," he murmured.

"Thanks," she said. She smiled weakly at him. "It's just that this was not what I had been expecting." She looked around the city as she spoke. "I was kind of expecting a massive island that loomed out of the ocean along with several smaller islands dotting the area. I didn't expect this to be a parallel reality to our own."

Antov nodded. "I know what you mean. But we can't focus on that. We have to investigate and find out if there is a connection to this Matt Luther kid you mentioned."

Mitsuro nodded. "Yeah. We will." She turned to face the officers who had come with her. "All right, guys. This is it. We'll split up and meet back here at this spot in three hours. Look for anyone or anything out of the ordinary. If anyone finds anything, fire off a flare or whistle as loud as you can. Okay?"

Tai, Antov, Pearl, Hunter, and Henry all nodded.

They split up into teams of two and headed down a different street. Antov was the only one left with Mitsuro at this point. "So, shall we begin the investigation?" he asked.

Mitsuro nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

The two made their way through the city/jungle, struggling over tree roots and through brush that blocked their path at some points. Antov grunted as he pulled apart some brush to allow her through. "Thanks," Mitsuro said.

Antov smiled. "No problem."

They made their way down to what was once the main street and stopped behind some brush to study the scene. Off to the sides of the street were huts made out of metal, wood, and whatever other materials the occupants found. Small fires burned here and there, an indication of someone being home. Some clotheslines were strung over the huts' entryways and clothing hung from them. A few children and parents worked outside the huts, preparing food for their families while women worked to repair clothing and take care of the huts. Mitsuro let out a soft whistle.

"Wow…" she whispered.

"It looks like a primitive village," Antov muttered.

"It _is_ a village!" Mitsuro hissed at him.

Antov said nothing, but merely narrowed his eyes. Something was off, and he knew it. The last time, the place had been abandoned and no life had lived here. So, why was there suddenly life in this desolate place? Was it possible that nature was returning, even though acid rain normally destroyed it?

He frowned as he pondered this development. Acid rain, he knew, destroyed nature and buildings alike. So why was that fauna was sprouting up again? Had the few remaining plants somehow evolved to be able to survive the harsh conditions here? If so, then that would explain the reason for life starting to spring back up again,

Mitsuro nudged him in the chest and he suddenly coughed in embarrassment. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry."

"You okay, Antov? You seemed to space out there for a moment," Mitsuro whispered.

"Yeah. I'm fine," Antov assured her. '_I'm just confused, that's all._' He kept that last part to himself as they studied the scene for a while longer.

Finally, after ten minutes of watching, Mitsuro stood up. "C'mon. Let's go."

Antov instantly caught on. "No!" he hissed, grabbing her arm. "We can't just barge out into the village!"

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because if we do, then who knows how they'll react?" Antov snarled in her ear.

Mitsuro realized that he was right at that point. They lacked any information on this place, aside from the fact that it was a parallel reality to their own and what little X had told her. She backed up away from the brush. "Fine. We'll see if there's anything that we can find out."

* * *

Tai and Hunter crept throughout the city, their guns held at the ready in case they stumbled upon something unusual. Tai also had his Duel Disk stashed in a pack he carried with him, an additional precaution in case they ran into a duelist.

And it just so happened that they were being observed by one such duelist…

A form suddenly landed in front of them, startling both men. Tai yelped while Hunter snarled as the man in front of them stood up, his reddish hair falling over his face a bit. Tai narrowed his golden eyes as the man flipped his hair aside to reveal a strong jaw and sharp facial features. His green eyes flashed in the dim lighting of a few small fires.

"Well, it's an unexpected surprise to run into the ones who defeated Obsidian," he said casually.

"Who are you, and how'd you know about that?" Hunter spat.

"We of the Shadow Guard know when one of our own has fallen in battle," the man said softly. "And as for who I am, that will come later. But right now, I wish to test your skills to see if you truly are the ones who took her down."

"I'm not a duelist," Hunter said. "But Tai is!"

The man looked at Tai, his green eyes narrowed thoughtfully for a moment. "You are a duelist?" he asked.

Tai nodded. "Yeah, I am!"

"Then you shall duel me, here and now," the man said. He whipped out a Duel Disk of his own and slipped it onto his right arm. He slid his deck into the slot and waited.

Tai removed his pack and opened it before reaching in and pulling out his own Duel Disk. The Duel Disk was sort of Gundam-themed, with the shield of the RX-78-2 Gundam covering the sleeve for his arm. The dueling portion itself was designed like a bazooka and held the usual card slots. Tai slipped it on and inserted his deck into the holder.

"All right! Let's do it!" Tai snarled.

The man smiled and drew his card. Tai followed suit. "DUEL!" both men shouted.

Tai: 8000 "?": 8000

He looked at his hand as he drew and grinned. He held out one of the cards and spoke. "I make my first move by summoning out to the field A Cat of Ill Omen (2/500/300)." A black cat wearing Egyptian jewelry on its body appeared on his field and looking at Tai with a sinister cuteness. Tai shivered as the man set a couple of cards face down. "Now let's see what you can do."

Tai drew his cards and opened his hand, only to smirk. His opening hand was good. He grabbed one of the cards. "! I summon out to the field Robot Mk I (2/400/400)!" He slapped the card down on the Monster Zone. A flash of light appeared on his field and a boxy robot with bulbs for eyes and two claw hands appeared on the field, getting into a fighting stance. "Then I'll set two cards facedown and end my turn."

Tai kept his eyes fixed on the man before him as he drew a card. '_I'd better be careful. Who knows what type of deck this guy's got?_' he thought to himself.

The man chuckled as he put the card on his Monster Card Zone. "Next I'll summon out to the field Clown Zombie (2/1350/0)." A dead clown suddenly appeared, as if surfacing from the pavement and holding a scythe in its hands. "Next I'll have my Clown Zombie attack your Robot Mk I!" he cried.

But Tai was ahead of him. "I activate my Trap Card!" he cried. "Shields Up!" The card suddenly faded from his field and a shield of pure metal appeared in front of his machine just as the undead clown lunged from its position right for him. The scythe scraped against the metal, releasing sparks and a horrible screeching sound of metal on metal. Tai gritted his teeth and smirked.

The man snarled softly as he ended his battle phase. "You're good," he said. "I'm surprised that you managed to defeat Obsidian so easily, even if she had Slifer the Sky Dragon in her deck."

"We didn't duel her, creep!" Tai spat. "We fought her using our destroyer!"

"You refused to duel?" the man asked innocently.

"Yes!" the fighter pilot hissed.

"Well, that's something new. Most of those who encountered her would duel to survive."

"There's a first time for everything!" Tai remarked. "And I suggest you make your move now!"

"Fine. I end my turn," the man said.

Tai drew his card and looked at it. "Next I summon out to the field GM Soldier (41600/1200)!" He slapped the card down and almost immediately a humanoid mecha with red and white armor on its body appeared. The machine's green visor plate flashed as it armed its beam rifle and aimed it at the clown. "Now, GM Soldier! Attack that Clown Zombie and send it back to the grave!" The GM fired off a shot from its rifle, penetrating the clown's chest and causing an explosion. Tai smirked.

Tai: 8000 "?": 8000 – 250 = 7750

"Then I'll end my turn with a facedown card." The card appeared on Tai's field.

"Nice," the man whispered. "But it won't do you much good! I activate the effect of my Cat of Ill Omen!" The cat suddenly hissed and a smoke was released from its fur, snaking towards the man's deck. "Through this effect, I can select one Trap Cad and move it to the top of my deck."

"What good is that move?" Tai asked.

"You'll see," the man chuckled. "Now I choose to attack your Robot Mk I with my Cat!" The cat crouched down and leapt for the robot. Tai grinned as the black cat scratched at his machine, causing it to fall to pieces.

"Sorry, but my machine has an effect of its own!" he remarked. "When Robot Mk I is destroyed in battle, we both take 200 points of damage directly to our life points!"

Tai: 8000 – 200 = 7800 "?": 7750 – 200 = 7550

The man snarled a bit. "You remind me of that boy," he said.

"Boy? What boy?" Tai asked, wondering what he was getting at. Then suddenly he gasped, his head snapping up and his golden eyes widening in realization. He remembered Mitsuro telling him about Matthew Luther and his mysterious past, along with the strange connection to the alchemic cards. "Wait…You mean Matt Luther?" he asked.

The man grinned. "It seems that you caught on quick," he said.

"What do you know about Matt?" Tai asked, pointing at him.

"If you can decrease my life points, I shall share some information concerning young Matt Luther," the man said.

"Fine!" Tai spat. "Now talk!"

"Well, you did decrease my life points, so I may as well tell some information," he murmured. "It turns out that his mother and father were two very different beings, each one holding power from different planes. His father held the Shadow Power, while his mother did not." He paused. "Does that answer any questions?"

"Not really!" Tai snarled. "And I end my turn!"

"Very well." The man drew. "I summon out to the field Armored Zombie (3/1500/0)." A dead samurai warrior surfaced from the pavement and got into a fighting stance, moaning and holding out a shattered sword. "Next I play Violet Crystal to increase my creature's attack and defense by 300." A glowing violet crystal appeared over the zombie and it moaned, the crystal's power seeping into its body and adding an unearthly glow to it.

Tai tensed. This wasn't good!

"Attack," the man said. The zombie launched itself right for Tai's GM. But Tai had a facedown card.

"I activate Counterattack!" he shouted. Almost immediately a blast of energy launched from the facedown card, as if it were a mine, and it exploded into pieces, the shards peppering the Armored Zombie and causing it to explode, along with A Cat of Ill Omen. Tai sighed with relief as his opponent ended his turn.

"All right! My move!" Tai said. He drew and smirked. "I summon out to the field Robot Mk II (3/1500/1000)!" A better-built, but still blocky robot appeared on his field in a fighting stance. This new robot had television cameras for optics instead of light bulbs. "Now I'll have Robot Mk II attack you directly!" The robot charged in a haphazard run right for the man and delivered a clumsy punch that lowered his life points. The man grunted as the punch made contact. "And I'll follow up with GM Soldier!" Tai cried. The GM aimed its beam rifle and fired again, this time striking the man on the shoulder. He hissed in pain, but didn't flinch otherwise.

Tai: 7800 "?": 7550 – 1500 – 1600 = 4450

"Excellent," the man rasped out. "I shall tell you more information."

"Spill it!" Tai snarled.

"Matthew's mother was gifted with the power that grants life and death while his father was gifted with the Shadow Power," the man whispered. "She was of the heavens while he was of the depths. These two became smitten with one another. It was an unlikely match. Their respective rulers wanted them to fight against each other, but they declined, and so they ran off."

"LIAR!" Tai roared. "I was told that Matt's father tapped into this power on accident!"

"I see you aren't as stupid as I thought," the man said. "Very well. The truth is that his father did indeed tap into the Shadow Power on accident. And he was a very good warrior with it, too. But then a decade later after he tapped into it, he went berserk with power lust."

"What about Matt's mother?" Tai asked.

"His mother and father met during a time when the world was in chaos," the man said softly. "They became smitten with each other and they married, but they couldn't have a child. They were distraught, so they pleaded and begged for the ability to have children. The mother's prayers were answered, but at a price."

Tai's eyes narrowed. "What kind of price?"

"The mother had to give up something for her to have a child. She chose to surrender her mortality," the man explained. "And in return, her son was infused with a small portion of the power of the heavens. Ten months went by, and they had a child. Around this time, his father began to exhibit strange desires and behaviors. His mother sensed that her husband's powers were getting out of control. So she pleaded to escape.

"The woman escaped through a portal that opened just for her. Her husband tried to follow, but failed to get through. The portal closed up and she was never seen again in this realm."

"But what does this have to do with Matt?" Tai exclaimed.

"Everything. But unless you can beat me, you won't get any more information on him," the man said.

"Fine! I end my turn!" Tai yelled.

The man drew and smirked. "I place one card facedown and I set two more facedown cards. Then I'll end my turn."

Tai whipped his card off the top of his deck and grinned. "All right!" he cried. "I sacrifice GM Soldier in order to summon out Deathscythe Gundam (5/2000/2500)!" The GM was overcome by a glowing light as it changed. The light then shattered to reveal a Gundam, mostly black and grey, with two bat-like wings, a V-fin on its head, and green optics carrying a beam scythe. The Gundam flared its wings and got into a fighting stance. "Then I'll have Deathscythe attack you directly!"

The man merely smirked. "I activate Dimension Wall!" he purred.

Tai's eyes widened in shock. "WHAT?" His Gundam drew back its arms, holding the beam scythe at the ready. Deathscythe then tossed the weapon through the air, spinning like a boomerang. But just before it could make contact, a shimmering silver barrier went up in front of the man and the beam scythe was deflected by the wall. The weapon struck Tai, making him cry out. "AGH!"

Tai: 7800 – 2000 = 5800 "?": 4450

He panted and looked down at his body, shocked to see a burn on his chest. '_What happened? Isn't this holographic?_' he thought, shocked. He glanced at his Duel Disk, noticing his life points had dropped.

"Okay then. I attack with Robot Mk II!" he cried. His robot lunged for the man, but he smirked again.

"I activate a second Dimension Wall," the man said. Tai yelped in pain as the blow struck him on the stomach. He rubbed the spot, now knowing what was happening: this was a Shadow Game.

Tai: 5800 – 1500 = 4300 "?": 4450

"I end my turn," Tai rasped.

"Good. Now, I summon out to the field via a Tribute Pumpking the King of Ghosts 6/1800/2000)!" the man cried. Tai felt dread fill him as he watched the facedown monster fade to reveal a huge pumpkin with a crown on its head. Suddenly, a single eye snapped open and a huge mouth grinned at him as vines whipped out from the sides and bottom.

"Pumpking?" Tai then grinned. "Face it. As long as Deathscythe is on the field, you can't do much damage! I could cut that thing down to pieces!" Tai said.

"I end my turn," the man said.

Tai drew and grinned. "All right. Now I'll end _my_ turn by placing a card facedown and that's that!"

The man chuckled as he drew. "You sure are desperate to lose, right?"

"Nice try!" Tai said. "Just make your move!"

His opponent grinned. "I set a card facedown and end my turn."

Tai growled as he drew. "Robot Mk II, attack that facedown card of his!" he cried. The robot lunged for the card and punched it, only to scrape against something hard. Tai gasped as the card flipped up to reveal a dark looking castle. The shockwave of the blow struck him and he grunted and hissed in pain as his burn stung him.

Tai: 4300 – 430 = 3870 "?": 4450

"I end my turn," Tai gasped.

"Tai! Hang in there!" Hunter cried.

"I will. Somehow…" Tai murmured.

"Now, with Castle of Dark Illusions (4/920/1930) and Pumpking on the field, your defeat is assured," the man murmured.

"Not a chance!" Tai spat. "So go ahead and try!" He smirked. "My facedown card can assure me of that!"

The man said nothing, but just set a card facedown.

He had to admit that the boy was smart. He was not only a determined duelist, but he was fighting on even when he was weakened in life points. "I end my turn. And now the effect of both Castle of Dark Illusions and Pumpking activate. Each standby phase of my turns, Pumpking gets an added 300 points." To prove his point, the huge pumpkin seemed to grow in size, absorbing the power of the castle above.

Tai growled. "I put both Deathscythe and Robot Mk II in defense mode. Then I set another monster facedown and end my turn." The two machines on his side of the field shifted into defense mode as a facedown card appeared in one of the monster card slots.

"My turn." The man drew and discarded a card to the graveyard just as his Pumpking grew in size and power. "You are very smart," he said as Tai drew. "But you still can't win this duel."

"I beg to differ!" Tai snarled. "Because now I reveal one of my facedown cards! Wing Zero (4/1800/1100)!" His signature machine suddenly burst forth from the card and did a loop before revealing itself. It was a small humanoid machine with two wings on the back. Its chest armor was blue with a green gem in the center and its body was mostly white with red edges on the feet and black hands. Its mouthpiece was slatted and on its head was a single gold V-fin. Both of its eyescreens were gold with green irises. The small Gundam got into a fighting stance.

"Hmph. That won't do you much good," the man said. "Especially with Pumpking at his full power in two more turns."

"I end my turn!" was his reply.

The man drew and again he discarded a card to the Graveyard. Again Pumpking grew in power and size. Tai gritted his teeth as he drew and discarded a card as well. He knew that this would end badly unless he got out the secret weapon that made his card so deadly.

The man merely drew and sneered at Tai as his monster grew in size and power. "Now that my monster is at his full power, I can attack your Deathscythe Gundam!" he cried.

"I don't think so!" Tai suddenly cried. "Because Wing Zero has a very unique effect! As long as he's out on the field, he automatically becomes the target of attack!" As he said those words, the small Gundam flared his wings and dashed in front of the attacking vines and took the brunt of the assault. Tai cried out as the debris peppered his body and his burn twinged with pain. He hissed as he looked at his life points.

Tai: 3870 – 1200 = 2670 "?": 4450

"I end my turn," the man whispered. Then he looked at Tai as he shakily drew a card. "You have some surprising cards," he said.

"Yeah, well it's about to get even more surprising!" Tai hissed. "Because now I reveal another facedown monster, Upgrade Pack (3/1000/1000)!" A heavily armed backpack appeared on the field. "But that's not all. Upgrade Pack can act as a Tuner monster, and by sending it to the Graveyard, Wing Zero is given an upgrade!" The two machines took to the sky and the Upgrade Pack suddenly turned into sparks. Wing Zero became enveloped by the sparks and in a flash, the light faded to reveal Wing Zero in its true form. The optics were now pure green and it stood taller than a human. In both hands the Gundam held twin Buster rifles and on its arm was a shield.

The man stared in shock as Tai spoke. "Wing Zero is given the extra levels and attack and defense points of Upgrade Pack as a result. So now Wing Zero is a level seven monster with 2800 attack and 2100 defense points!" he explained. "And that's not all. I switch my other machines back to attack mode. Then I activate a field spell! Neotopia-SDG Deployed!" He inserted the field spell into his Duel Disk and the field began to change.

His opponent looked around just as grass appeared underneath his feet and out across the field. The destroyed and crumbling buildings were replaced by more modern buildings and in the middle two towers with platforms on the sides appeared, panels of some kind hovering around the tops of the two towers. Clouds appeared in the sky as it changed to blue and an ocean appeared on the horizon. Above it all a base equipped with five runways hung, with cables extending into the sky. He gasped in shock.

"Thanks to this field spell, Wing Zero's attack and defense points increase by 300," Tai said. "But that's just the beginning. Now it's time to really go for it! ZERO System Activate!" He slapped the card down on his Duel Disk and his machine's optics flashed brightly. The Gundam crouched and leapt up. "This doubles my Gundam's attack until the end of this turn!" Tai said. "Now attack his Pumpking!" Tai cried.

Wing Zero held out both Buster rifles and united them into one gun. The beam charged up and fired, heading right for Pumpking. The monster tried to block the golden beam, but it was useless as the blast penetrated right through and caused him to explode, sending seeds everywhere.

But Tai wasn't done. "Deathscythe, take down that Castle!" His other Gundam grabbed its beam scythe and tossed it, cutting the castle in half and causing it to explode. "Now, Robot Mk II! Finish this duel!" he cried. His robot charged and socked the man in the chest. He staggered back and collapsed to his hands and knees.

Tai: 2670 "?": 4450 – 3200 – 1500 = 0

The holograms faded and Tai collapsed to his own hands and knees. The burn on his chest still hurt, but at least it didn't hurt like hell. He staggered to his feet and made his way to the other man. He sat down beside him.

"You sure are tough," Tai remarked.

The man laughed hoarsely as he looked at Tai. "Not as tough as you," he rasped. "Now, since you won, I shall tell you more about Matthew's heritage."

He coughed and began speaking. "Matt was the child that the woman took to another realm. She left her husband, taking her son with her to keep him from using the poor child. His mother left him somewhere safe, so he could be raised to be a normal child, unaware of the great power within him until the time was right.

"But she didn't expect him to begin searching for the boy. So she began fighting with him. Yet, she was defeated in battle," the man whispered.

"Anything else that can provide clues?" Tai asked.

"There is a temple somewhere here," the man said. "It contains lore from the olden days. We of the Shadow Guard cannot get inside, but we know that it exists. It is guarded by those of the Futurist religion. Unfortunately, I do not know any more than that."

He coughed a few more times before he died, his eyes slipping closed and his body falling limp.

Tai watched this and he closed his eyes.

He went through what this man had told him and he looked up, determination filling his eyes. He had to tell Mitsuro this and fast!


	16. Secrets Revealed Part 3

_Mitsuro and her friends started looking for clues and so far they haven't found any. But when Mitsuro and Antov head into a village to find more clues, a shaman spotted them and brought them into her home. There she told them about Matt's heritage, or part of it, at least. And what of these mysterious "Chosen Ones"? What does the temple have to do with it?_

* * *

**Chapter 16 - Secrets Revealed - Part 3**

Pearl and Henry ducked through the brush, stepping over cracked pavement and partly destroyed buildings. Pearl bashed aside a branch that blocked their path with a loud grunt. Henry grabbed it and held it back for her. "Here."

"Thanks," Pearl muttered. "Why we have to even check this place out is beyond me!"

"It's the commander's orders," Henry said. "I don't like it either, but we have to see if there's any connection to Duel Academy here."

"That's just it. What is so special about that place that makes it so deadly?" Pearl asked.

"That's what we're here to find out," Henry murmured. "This place has traces of the shadows, so we'll need to be ready in case we come across any duelists."

"How so?" Pearl asked as she pushed aside some vines. "Neither of us are duelists."

"That may be true, but we still have the ability to fight back." Henry patted his pistol as he said this. Pearl noticed this and grinned.

"Yeah. We sure do," she said.

"So let's keep our eyes peeled for anything that may provide us with some information," Henry said. Pearl nodded.

"Right."

* * *

Back with Tai and Hunter, Tai winced and hissed in pain as the other man wrapped a bandage around his torso. His shirt had been stripped off, along with his jacket, and they lay on the ground beside him. "Hold still!" Hunter snapped.

"You try being the one getting bandaged!" Tai grumbled.

"Well, I'm almost done. So stay still until then," Hunter muttered.

He finished wrapping the bandage around and cut it swiftly with his knife. Then he tucked the end underneath a few other wraps. "There," he said. "You're all set. Just try not to overtax yourself."

Tai nodded. "Yeah, I will. And thanks."

Hunter smiled. "No problem." Then he looked back at the other man lying dead beside Tai. "It sure would've been a help to learn more about Matt."

"Hey. Forget it. The guy's dead. The only other lead we have is that mysterious temple he told us about," Tai said, waving a hand. He winced as he moved. "Although I have to admit, this Shadow Game stuff is much different than I thought," he added, looking down at his bandaged chest.

"So? What were you expecting?" Hunter asked as he put the medical supplies back in the pack, right beside Tai's Duel Disk.

Tai shrugged. "I don't know. Something more like…energy, I guess. Not full on attacks like that."

"At least now we know what to expect if one of us gets challenged to a duel again," Hunter remarked. He stood up and held out a hand for Tai. The fighter pilot grasped it and the other man hauled him to his feet. Hunter then knelt down and picked up Tai's clothing. The young man put them back on, despite the pain in his torso.

"Let's find the others. We need to tell them what we learned and fast!" Hunter said.

* * *

Mitsuro and Antov crept around the village, trying to find a way inside without being noticed. So far, their efforts proved futile, because every now and then someone came scampering through the point they were attempting to use. Mitsuro growled in frustration. "How are we gonna get inside?" she muttered.

Antov shrugged. "I don't know. I think we should…" His voice trailed off as he saw what appeared to be a way in, this one unused. "Hey!" He grabbed her shoulder. "Look!"

She turned in the direction of his finger and her eyes widened. She looked at him. "Are you serious?" she breathed.

The Russian nodded. "Yes. It is a way in. I'm sure of it."

The two crept closer to it and peered through the brush. No one was close to it. This was the way in they had been searching for! Mitsuro and Antov grinned.

They slipped through into the village.

Their presence went unnoticed as they slipped behind a building and plastered themselves against it. None of the villagers noticed them, which meant that things were looking up for them at this moment. However, they couldn't take any chances. The two officers crouched down and grabbed some mud in their hands, splattering it on their uniforms and faces. Antov needed the most mud on his face because of his pale skin and greying hair. But when they were finished, the two blended in with the surroundings quite well.

They crept out from behind the building, pausing only when they felt someone's gaze in their direction. They slowly made their way across the village square, trying to find an abandoned hut to use for the night. But all of the huts were occupied by villagers.

"Damnit!" Mitsuro muttered under her breath.

Suddenly, the door of the nearest hut creaked open. Mitsuro and Antov both tensed, standing absolutely still in case they were discovered. Sweat began to form on her forehead as she watched the occupant step out.

The little old woman wasn't that much taller than four foot five. Her eyes were blind with cataracts and the pupils were milky white. A scar ran across her lower jawline and her hair was a frizzy mess, but with scraps of metal entwined with it right above her forehead. She wore a shawl and a dirty tunic, with only loose pants and rotting sandals on her bare feet. In her hand she held a staff made out of wood from an ancient tree.

The woman swept her head about, as if she were listening for something. Then, her blind eyes fixed on their location.

Both naval officers tensed, ready to attack if the need arose.

But the woman did nothing to invite an attack on her. She merely raised a hand and beckoned for them to follow. As she beckoned, she stepped back into the shadows of her hut.

Mitsuro and Antov looked at one another, then followed her inside cautiously.

The door closed quietly behind them.

The little old woman wandered around the inside of the hut, prompting Antov to watch her. Mitsuro, on the other hand, observed the interior of the hut with her green eyes, searching for anything that could constitute a threat. But nothing was there.

The interior of the hut was laid out like a small one-room house. There was a kitchen off to the side, but it was merely a stone slab with a fire pit underneath it. A handmade bed was in the corner and a wash tub with a hole in the ground made up the bathroom. In the middle of the hut was a fire pit for central heating. But the shelves filled with bottles told a different story. Additional objects hanging from the ceiling revealed themselves to be herb baskets and small cages of live animals. Mitsuro guessed this woman to be a shaman of some sort.

The woman grabbed a pile of wood from a nearby corner and scuttled over to the fire pit. She dropped the wood into the pit and scraped a match against a patch of sandpaper on the floor. She dropped the match onto the wood and it instantly lit ablaze. She motioned for them to sit.

Mitsuro and Antov plopped onto the floor.

"I knew that you would come," the woman said in an aged voice.

"How did you know that?" Antov asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Forgive him," Mitsuro said, trying to cover up the Russian's rudeness. "We're new here."

"I know," the woman said. "I am the elder of this village, and the shaman, too. So I know that you are not of this realm. My name is Asia."

"Asia? As in the continent?" Mitsuro asked.

Asia nodded. "Yes. We shamans are often named after the continents or the States of the Continents."

"Then, it seems that someone's trying to keep the past alive," Mitsuro murmured.

"Yes," Asia said. "But the Lord of the Shadows does not permit it. Only time of his rule is permitted to be taught in this god-forsaken realm."

"But why?" Antov asked. "Learning from the past helps one grow stronger."

Asia shook her head. "It's not like your own realm. Here, nothing is taught but the present and the future. He wants nothing of the past to remain alive."

"That's wrong…" Mitsuro murmured, her eyes widening in shock.

Asia looked in her direction and nodded. "Yes. It is. But that is not why you are here, yes?"

Antov nodded. "Yeah. We're here to try and figure out what Matthew Luther's connection is to this place, and to solve the mystery of Jason Itachu's disappearance," he said.

Asia's blind eyes widened before she lowered her head. "I see. You seek to try and save the world you call home."

"Yes," Antov replied. "Do you know anything?"

"I am a shaman. I know all of the past and future events that can change the outcome of the War," Asia said. She touched her forehead with a bony finger. "I have also seen some things that will prove to be of great importance in the coming battles. These events will change the War, but in what way, I do not know. That is up to you to determine."

"I'm afraid I don't follow," Mitsuro said. "What do you mean by the War?"

Asia nodded. "The War is a massive conflict that spans across all worlds, all dimensions, and all realities. Countless worlds have fallen to the Shadow Lord and his minions. There have been a few that have fought back, but each time, they have fallen to his power. None have succeeded in driving him off."

Both Mitsuro and Antov stared in shock. There were other realities besides this one, and their own?

Asia continued speaking. "The War will last forever at this rate, and no one will be safe from the Shadow Lord's rule. Only those who have the Power can fight back and save everyone from a terrible future," she said. She hunched lower over the fire so that her eyes reflected the flames. She lifted a hand and dropped something glittery into the flames. As soon as the mysterious substance made contact with the flames, they parted to reveal a space in which they could see the future.

Mitsuro gasped and Antov stared in horror at the images they were shown. The scenes they saw resembled a horror film to some extent, but also a much more brutal version of World War II.

The world was in ruins. Buildings that had once stood for many years were now crumbling, with only their bombed-out shells still standing. Homes were falling into decay and streets were cratered with shells and explosive marks. Cars rusted on the sides of streets and no life stood in these areas. The forests were now burned up and only dirty water stood in place of clean freshwater. The mountains now spewed lava and it ran in never ending rivers down the sides and into the former cities and towns.

But that wasn't the horrific part. As they stared, the flames closed up and reopened to show the daily life in this apocalyptic future. Now Mitsuro felt bile rising in her throat and beside her Antov clamped a hand over his own mouth in disgust.

The fire showed slaves living in a sinister castle that once stood where Duel Academy once stood. Lava surrounded the place, and somehow changed to water as one got farther and farther away from it. The castle resembled something out of a horror film, complete with crumbling spires and Gothic windows. The slaves were in wretched conditions, looking like nothing more than living skeletons, flesh hanging on their bodies. They wore only single tunic or sometimes even loincloths. Their eyes were glazed and they looked as if they had been broken spiritually and mentally.

The circle of flames then flared and when they faded, it showed the main life for those on the mainland continents and/or islands. Peasants lived in squalor and struggled to stay alive by foraging for whatever they could. They wore tunics and pants, but the women wore one piece gowns and the cild morality rate was impossibly high. No agriculture was grown in the tainted soil. Livestock didn't live on these so-called farms. In fact, there was no real hope for these people. Diseases claimed the lives of the young and wild animals that somehow survived in this hellhole killed many more.

Antov muttered a low curse in Russian, his eyes widening in horror.

The shaman raised a hand and the fire changed the scene, showing the outcome of the world's most powerful nation. To the surprise of the two naval officers, there was nothing left except a ruined landscape. Only a flat crater remained where the United States once stood, and no resistance forces could hide out there. In the middle of this desolate landscape stood nothing. All life in the region had been destroyed, including the one hope the world had left. Mitsuro's eyes shimmered with tears as she stared at the remnants of buildings still somehow standing tall. But no flag flew from these ruins.

As the fire changed the scene again, Mitsuro stood up. "Why?" she cried. "Why does it have to come to that?"

The shaman shook her head and motioned for her to sit back down.

The fire this time showed the last hope the world possessed. Matthew Luther was trapped in a cell, his hair tinted gray and his eyes showing his broken and defeated state. His body was not that much better than the rest of the slaves. He still wore his Duel Academy jacket and uniform, but it was ragged and tattered, the clothing beginning to rot on his body. He sat slouched against the wall, his arms wrapped around his legs, gazing out at the lava with a reflective look. Somehow, Mitsuro guessed that he was insane, trapped in a mental world of his own making, the outcome much different than this one that she and Antov were witnessing.

The fire then shifted the scene again, showing the Shadow Lord standing tall on top of his castle, his Duel Disk activated and his face twisted into a sneer as he watched his slaves and peasants struggling to serve the new masters of the world. The Seven Sins stood on either side of him, with Lust, Greed, Envy, and Pride on one side, Wrath, Sloth, and Gluttony on the other. Beside Gluttony stood the Ghost. Like their master and in sharp contrast to the slaves and peasants, the Sins and the Ghost were in top pyshical condition. They were still in possession of muscle tone, athletic ability, and immunity. They each had a sneer on their own faces as they watched their wretched subjects struggle to serve them. The Shadow Lord's strongest monster hovered behind them, a shapeless thing in the mist of the darkness.

The shaman then raised a hand and the fire closed up. "Now do you see?" she asked.

"That...That has to be prevented at all costs!" Mitsuro whispered in a hoarse voice.

Asia nodded. "Yes. That is the fate that shall befall your realm, and those that follow. He was merely testing his powers on others that came before you."

"What can be done to stop it?" Antov asked, standing up.

"Only those wielding the Power can stop the Lord of the Shadows," Asia murmured, looking up at them with her milky white eyes. "The Power is a great source of strength for those pure of heart and spirit. By using it, they can save the worlds and all realities from his might." She paused. "You know of one of them."

"Matt Luther," Mitsuro murmured.

Asia nodded. "Yes. And…" She lifted her cane and reached across the fire with it, tapping Mitsuro on the chest. "You also have been touched by it."

Mitsuro looked at her as she lowered her staff. The lieutenant commander then reached into her pocket and pulled out her deck. She shifted through it before she removed the card. "You mean this?" she asked.

Asia nodded. "Yes. That card contains a portion of the Power, and as its name implies, it liberates those who have been struck by the shadows."

As Mitsuro put her deck back in her pocket, Antov spoke. "So, what can you tell us?"

"About those you came to seek information on?" Asia asked. The Russian nodded.

Asia closed her eyes and for a moment, the two wondered if she had died. But then she spoke, her voice resonating deeply with some kind of energy. It made them more alert and aware of their surroundings. Mitsuro could actually sense the energy of the shadows pulsing in the air around them, yet it left them untouched. It was as if there was a barrier surrounding them and keeping the three of them safe from its powers.

"The one you call Matthew Luther… I know him," she murmured. "He is the Savior described in a past prophecy. It told of his father's exit to another realm, and of a great battle in which he would be defeated by his own son. He has within him a great spirit that gives him the ability to resist any and all invasion by the shadows into his body and the bodies of those around him. It also grants him great strength in duels."

"So Matt _was_ cheating!" Mitsuro exclaimed.

Asia said nothing for a moment.

For a brief instant, the two feared that she was dead, but then she spoke again. "The spirit within him also drains him. It is a double edged sword. Not like the power that you contain," Asia explained. "Your powers don't enable you to cheat during duels or to create a barrier around those you know or are close to in distance. Instead, your powers grant you the ability to _liberate_ anyone who has been touched by the Shadow Realm. The powers you have come from a place that the Shadow Lord fears."

"What is this place?" Antov asked.

Asia was silent as she processed the information. "It is a place of hope and light." Then she lifted her head and looked at both of them. "This place that he fears is only reachable by other means. No one can enter it unless they are granted its powers within their bodies. It is the place where the spirit that resides in Matthew Luther came from, and it is the place whose power you draw upon in duels," she said, pointing at Mitsuro as she said this.

The realization then struck them both at this point. "_Heaven?_" both of them exclaimed at once.

Asia simply nodded. "You could call it that," she said. "But it has no name, other than the ones given to it by countless species, worlds, races, etc."

"But what about my brother?" Mitsuro asked.

"Ah, your brother…" Asia closed her eyes and chanted softly.

They waited for a moment before she opened her eyes and looked at them again. "He is captive here in this realm. However, even my powers can't deduce where he is," Asia said softly.

"That's fine. We'll find him ourselves," Mitsuro said. Then she looked around. "But what happened here?"

Asia shrugged. "I do not know."

"Damnit!" Antov swore.

Then the shaman looked at them thoughtfully. "However, there is something that can tell you the truth about this place."

"What?" Mitsuro asked.

Asia stood up and walked over to a table. She grabbed an old map and came back. She handed it to them. "This map leads to an ancient temple that holds records as to the truth. It also foretells of the Chosen Ones coming and leading the worlds that have been conquered to a new era of peace." Then she grew serious. "But it is closely guarded by the Futurists."

"The Futurists?" Antov cocked an eyebrow.

Asia nodded. "Yes. They believe in a better future and that the Chosen Ones will lead the oppressed to freedom and liberty. The Master of Legends leads them and the Six Guardians of the Temple guard the secrets of the temple from all outsiders."

"We also heard of a possible Rebellion," Antov said.

Asia perked up. "The Rebellion…Ah! The Rebellion that strives to free this world and others from the Shadow Lord's rule. I know what you mean. They consist of a few of his not-so-loyal minions, the Futurists and most of the world's shamans," she said. "But alas, I'm not one of them."

"So, the Rebellion has a chance of success?" Mitsuro asked.

Asia shook her head. "Not unless the Chosen Ones come forth and defeat his agent, the one you call the Ghost."

"So the Ghost is the one behind some of the students acting strange?" Mitsuro asked.

She nodded. "Yes."

"We can't thank you enough for this information," Antov said.

Asia merely smiled and guided them to the door of her hut. Once they left, she watched them leave the village. "Farewell, Chosen Ones. You will need it."


	17. Secrets Revealed Part 4

_The crew of the _Rising Dawn _met again, and each one had something to say about their shroe excursions. Mitsuro and her friends studied the map Asia gave them, and they discovered a hidden temple located in the Bermuda Triangle. And on their journey there, they discovered they could warp without relying on a wormhole. Rather, if they focused on their home world, they could appear there by will, and vice versa. When they arrived at the temple, they encountered the Master of Legends in a naval battle. Now can they win, or will they lose and fail to find the truth about Matt?_

* * *

**Chapter 17 - Secrets Revealed - Part 4**

It didn't take long for everyone to meet up again three days later. When they did, they all headed back to the USS_ Rising Dawn_ to go over the information they had learned. Mitsuro ordered the ship to head out to sea, relying on the incomplete AI system while she called the whole crew to a meeting in the mess hall. It wasn't the best place, but it would have to do.

"Okay. So, did you guys find anything?" Helen Yates asked.

Mitsuro nodded. "Yes, we did. And we each also found some information on Matt's past." Her eyes then hardened. "And of what will come about if we allow the Ghost to get his way."

"What do you mean, what will come about?" Zeke Potrovsky asked, his eyes narrowing.

"A few days ago, Antov and I stumbled onto a village. We headed inside to see what information we could obtain, and it turned out that a shaman living there spotted us and brought us inside her house," Mitsuro explained. "It was there that she told us about the future."

She began to explain about the future that Asia had shown them in her fire. During the whole time, everyone listened with wide eyes, shocked that it could happen to their own home. Tai became pale as he heard this while a few of the women looked like they were going to cry. A couple of the men became green in the face and Hank Wilson actually bolted into the kitchen to throw up in the sink when he heard that. She also explained about the power of Matthew Luther and of herself, which prompted some relief from the crew. She then reached into her uniform's jacket and pulled out the map the shaman had given them. Mitsuro told them about the temple's connection to this and of what Asia had said.

When she was done, Tai stood up.

"But why? Why our home? What does our world have to do with this?" he asked. "It doesn't make any sense!"

"I know how you feel, Tai, but what we learned doesn't give us any reason why," Antov said.

"Actually, Antov, it does." Mitsuro said. "Remember, we saw Matt in the fire. He was trapped in a cell and he was insane."

"So, it's because of Matt?" Jacob O' Riley blurted.

Mitsuro nodded. "Yes."

"Then why not kill him and be done with it?" Pearl asked. "Problem solved, and the worlds are saved."

"It's not that simple, Pearl," Antov muttered. "He's got that spirit inside of him, and that could only speed up our demise. Asia, the shaman we met, told us that he was the one destined to defeat his father."

Pearl looked down, suddenly feeling embarrassed by her comment.

"Hey. It's okay. So what if you made a mistake," Conner Green remarked. "It shouldn't distract you from the mission here."

Pearl nodded as a small smile formed on her face. "Thanks," she murmured.

Conner smiled back. Then he turned to face Mitsuro. "Anything else that you learned?"

She shook her head. "But Tai and Hunter did."

She motioned for the two to come forward. Tai and Hunter stepped to the front of the room. Helen yelped in surprise at the burn on his chest. Tai hurriedly assured her that he would stop into the medical bay once this was over. She nodded and sat back down, keeping an eye on him.

Tai and Henry went on to tell of the duel against the unknown man and of how they had discovered Matt's heritage, or at least part of it. During this time, each of the crew stared in shock at them. When they were finished, Sniper stood up. "How could that even be possible?" he asked.

Tai shrugged. "I don't know myself, to be honest. But all I know is what he said."

"What about you two?" Henry asked, looking and Pearl and Henry.

"We didn't really find anything, except for this," Pearl said, handing Mitsuro a slip of paper. "It basically talks about the rise of the Shadow Lord, or whoever this guy is, and of how no one has survived his initial purging of this world's intelligent people, such as historians, politicians, artists, news people, etc. It's very barbaric, the way he did it."

"Well, we managed to gather some good information," A.J. Kimaro said.

"Yeah. Now all we have to do is check out that unknown temple," Henrico Zolo said calmly. "It may hold clues as to who these Chosen Ones are and of Matt's connection to this place."

"But what about Mitsuro's brother?" Conner asked.

"We can worry about that later. Right now, we have to follow this lead. It's something that I learned while working in South Africa as a journalist before my folks moved to the States," Henrico explained. "If we follow this, then maybe we may find some information as to her brother's whereabouts."

Conner then grew thoughtful. "Huh. When you put it that way…"

"Then we're going to check it out," Mitsuro said. "It may be the only lead we have, but who knows? It may also be our best lead yet."

* * *

_The Master of Legends sat in his chambers, his legs crossed, his head bent against his staff, which was positioned on the floor in the center of a sacred Japanese character. The symbol pulsed lightly with the hidden powers of the temple, adding to the mood._

_He didn't even move, save for the rise and fall of his chest. The inner workings of the temple murmured around him, and he listened to them. His eyebrows twitched, and he murmured a soft question to the great temple. Silence reigned for a moment before the temple whispered back._

_The Master lifted his head._

"_They are coming…" he whispered._

_He slowly got to his feet and walked over to the picture depicting the ship. He gazed at it for a while before he heard something. The temple rumbled beneath his feet. He glanced down and smiled. "Yes. We shall," he said fondly. "We shall test them and see if they are indeed the Chosen Ones."_

_He looked back at the symbol not too far from him. He turned and, despite his healthy body in his old age, shuffled a bit towards it. He stopped in the center of it and placed his staff right in the middle again._

_He began to murmur softly and the floor encompassing him and the symbol began to sink deep into the depths, revealing a hidden tunnel…_

* * *

The USS _Rising Dawn_ tore through the water swiftly as they followed the trail depicted on the map. The wake created by the fast destroyer was a dead giveaway to any ships patrolling the area, but somehow they evaded patrols when they were spotted. They had no idea as to how, but after a bit of experimentation during a brief skirmish, the crew discovered that they could teleport in and out of the alternate realm in a flash of light rather than through a wormhole like before.

It proved handy every time they were spotted, but even so, there were two close calls, both coming when they blundered right into the path of an incoming warship of the Shadow Lord's navy. It was by sheer luck that they managed to get out of there both times.

Finally, after a week of traveling at high and slow speed, dodging patrols, and nearly getting caught, the destroyer arrived at the coordinates marked on the map. Mitsuro looked at the map before she lifted her head and stared at the island right in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle. The island was dotted with life and jungle fauna, while old buildings lay scattered around the temple in the center of the island. An old pier faced them, with rusting bollards and crumbling concrete.

"Geez! I didn't expect _this_!" Henry yelped.

"I know. An island smack dab in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle… Who would've thought?" Tai remarked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"What a place," Pearl whispered.

"Yeah. But we don't even know if this is the place that holds the information we're searching for," Antov said.

"Still, what other leads do we have?" Mitsuro said. "This is the only place that may hold the information we need. And as much as I hate to admit it, this may be the only hope we have of finding out more about Matt's past."

"What's so special about that kid, anyway?" Zeke growled.

"He's saved the world from the Shadow Realm two years ago," Mitsuro said, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. "And last year he discovered that there was some kind of spirit inside him, granting him great power during duels."

Zeke cocked an eyebrow. "So? It's not like the kid's a god or something."

"Actually, Zeke, that may very well be the case," Antov said calmly. "But until we know for sure, we're stuck grasping at straws. So we have to try and figure this out now while we're here."

"And when we get back?" Pearl asked. "What will we do then to search out more information?"

"We search for the one who ran the orphanage Matt lived at for a while," Mitsuro said. "The one who ran it may have more information as to how he wound up there." Her eyes then narrowed, and for an instant, Tai swore he saw her eyes shift from green to silvery white with a golden edge and sky blue irises. It then vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

The young man rubbed his eyes. What had happened back there?

"I know it's a long shot, but it may be the only other lead we have," she said.

"Well, all right. But right now we have to focus on this," Antov said, looking back at the temple.

"So, who's going to go out?" Pearl asked.

Suddenly, the vessel shuddered and the engines whined, and swearing resonated up through the ventilators from the engine room. The _Rising Dawn_ backed up so fast that it seemed like the ship was desperate to get out of there. Antov ran for the helm and grabbed it, only to burst out swearing when he learned that it was frozen stuck yet again. He glanced back.

"The helm's frozen again!" he cried.

"Leave it!" Mitsuro snapped. "When the ship stops, regain control!" She turned to Tai and Andrew. "Both of you get into the air and prepare for combat!" She then contacted the gunners. "Gunners report to battle stations and get ready for battle!" She repeated the orders a few times, and when she was sure that they had been received, she turned and looked back out the bridge windows as the destroyer came to a stop.

A cliff face slid open right in front of them, startling them. Mitsuro frowned and watched it as a shape began to emerge from the darkness within the now revealed passage.

The entire crew was tense as they watched the shape slowly emerge. The mist, however, impeded their vision, meaning they really couldn't see what the shape was. They waited with anticipation of the worst until a gust of wind caused the mist to part slightly, revealing the object before them.

Silvery white in color with runes inscribed on the armor and hull plates, the destroyer in front of them was a relic from an era long past in this world, retaining only that which escaped the destruction wrought on it. The vessel possessed weapons from the past eras, each one deadlier than the last. The radar still functioned, and behind the ship was a very impressive wake.

In short, they were up against the ship of the Master of Legends.

"Geez! What kind of a ship is that?" Tai asked.

"I have no idea," Mitsuro said. "All I know is that it's a destroyer."

The ship faced their own, and as it came closer, Mitsuro grabbed a set of binoculars on the bridge console and lifted them to her eyes. She narrowed her eyes, studying the ship's bridge.

On the bridge, she could see a man with white hair looking back at them. He had his hands wrapped around the steering wheel and he gazed at them calmly.

Mitsuro lowered the binoculars and glanced back at her crew and friends. "Okay, guys. We—" But before she could speak any further, the communications system beeped and Mitsuro spun to face it. "JAS-1, bring up communications!" she snapped.

The Ai responded wordlessly.

"_I see you have finally come,_" he murmured.

"Wait. You were expecting us?" Mitsuro asked.

"_Yes, I was,_" the man said. "_Is that a surprise to you?_"

"You bet it is!" Tai snarled. "Who are you?"

"_I am the Master of Legends, and the leader of the Futurists,_" the man said. "_I run the Temple and guard its secrets from those who are not the Chosen Ones._"

"Chosen Ones?" Andrew narrowed his eyes. "Why do you think that we are the Chosen Ones?"

"_I am not sure. That is why I must test you to see if you truly are the Chosen Ones,_" the Master clarified.

"It doesn't make any sense, aside from that somehow we were drawn into this by pure luck," Pearl murmured.

"We don't know for sure what our role is or how we even became involved in the first place. So we'll have to beat this guy and find out what that role is!" Mitsuro said. "It's the only way to get some answers!"

"_Very well. But I am far from weak,_" the Master purred.

"Tai, Andrew, get in the air! On the double!" Mitsuro snapped.

"Right!" the two pilots shouted.

It didn't take them long to get into the sky. It was less than fifteen minutes after they launched that the unknown ship facing them fired off a shell right for the front of the _Rising Dawn_! The sleek destroyer reacted so suddenly that the helmsman was thrown off his feet and the others were sent sprawling. The warship backed up as the shell slammed into the water and exploded, sending a geyser of water skyward.

The gunners swung their weapons about and let loose with lasers that struck the unknown vessel. The ship shivered under the impact, but didn't go down, let alone sustain any damage to its armor. The shocking realization struck all of them. It seemed to them that things had become inverted, the shock was so strong. Mitsuro's eyes widened as the unknown ship fired off a round at them again.

"FIRE LASERS!" she screamed.

Both the gunners and the ship's AI responded at once. The _Rising Dawn_ seemed to sense the right time and the guns roared in sync, canceling out the single round from their opponent. But just when they thought that they were safe, a barrage of shells came right at them!

"NOW!" Mitsuro roared.

The entire crew focused on their home dimension, tying themselves to their dimensional plane and instantly the feeling of becoming nothing filled their bodies before slowly fading. Even if it was only briefly, they had arrived home. By focusing on their opponent again, they were able to warp back to the unknown realm.

* * *

As their ship appeared, the Master of Legends watched in awe as the golden light vanished from around them. He smiled. They had warped from one realm to another, just like the legend foretold. But there was still the next part of the legend to test: the strength of their will.

He closed his eyes and clenched his fists on the steering wheel.

* * *

The destroyer before them suddenly released a surge of energy that startled the entire crew of the _Rising Dawn_. Mitsuro and the others glanced around, surprised to see that their ship was now floating in a realm of pure darkness.

"What's happening?" Pearl cried.

"I don't know, but something tells me that this is not real!" Mitsuro said.

"How can that be?" Zeke asked harshly. "Look! We're stranded in nothingness! I doubt we can even warp outta here!"

"Just stay focused!" Mitsuro snapped. "We can't let this distract us! Remember why we're here! We're here to find out what the connection to Matt is, as well as our role in this and where my brother is! So don't get distracted!"

Zeke fell silent and nodded. "Right!"

Mitsuro looked around, her eyes searching for the Master's ship. As she did, her eyes suddenly flashed silvery white with golden edges and sky blue irises. The new vision this alteration provided allowed her to _see_ beyond the shadow illusion, yet she didn't know it. "Fire at three o' clock!" she yelled.

The gunners responded by swinging the guns in that direction and firing. The blasts struck the Master's ship, and just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished. But it wasn't done yet. The ship suddenly vanished again, this time into a veil of mist.

"Tai, release a bomb!" Mitsuro cried.

"_On it!_" Tai shouted.

The young man's fighter jet sped over where the destroyer had vanished and released a smart bomb. The bomb fell, a slight whistle accompanying its descent. It didn't take long for it to strike the ship. The sheer force of the explosive shockwave caused the mist to scatter and that was Andrew's cue to let loose with the Gatling gun. The gun roared and sent a barrage of lead at the ship.

This time, when the bullets struck, damage occurred. And that was something that proved to be a great morale booster.

The two ships slugged it out, the sleeker destroyer darting and dodging swiftly around shells and barrages of missiles that could've killed any other ship and crew. But by utilizing their newfound power to warp, they were able to evade most of the missiles. They also unleashed their own barrages, inflicting damage to the opposing destroyer and making it shiver under the incredible onslaught. During this time, the _Rising Dawn_ acted like it had a mind of its own, which was impossible, but the crew wasn't complaining. In fact, it proved to be an advantage this time.

Finally, the fight came to an end. The _Rising Dawn_ was running low on shells and missiles and the armor was damaged from the impacts from the other destroyer's shells. But the other ship was just as bad, if not worse.

Mitsuro smiled as she studied this.

"Nice work, guys," she said. "We did it."

"Not yet!" Antov suddenly hissed. "Something's not right here!"

The sudden eruption of an unknown energy wave caught her off guard and she gasped. The powerful wave slammed into their ship and threw everyone off their feet, including the engine room crew. Mitsuro staggered to her feet, her eyes now back to normal. "Wow… What was that?" she whispered.

"That was some kind of energy wave," Hunter grumbled. "It reminded me of the Shadow Game we fought against that Obsidian lady!"

"Whoever this guy is, he's really good!" Pearl exclaimed as she got to her feet.

"Maybe, but we're good too!" Mitsuro snapped. "So let's get this thing back into gear!"

The crew let out a cheer as they scrambled back to their battle stations. Now they were not going to be defeated that easily.

* * *

The Master of Legends sensed this will as their ship came back about and let loose with another broadside. He smiled and concentrated, letting the energy of his powers course into his ship, forming a defensive shield around it.

They were determined to win, even if they lacked the power to do so currently.

Only the Chosen Ones would have such will, he knew. Now it all came down to this last test.

* * *

But before he could do anything else, the shells and lasers slammed into his shield and rocked his ship. He blinked in shock as the vessel came back onto an even keel. He shook his head in amazement. What had happened back there? The shield should've canceled it out, so why didn't it? Confused, he glanced out at the _Rising Dawn_, and to his immense surprise, he saw a slight glow surrounding the entire ship, giving it some kind of power boost or something more.

He shook his head and brought himself back to the task at hand.

Zeke swore loudly as the US warship swerved, throwing everyone off their feet for the third time in this fight. He glared at Antov. "Can't you do something about this?" he snapped.

"Watch it, Zeke!" Antov spat. "It's already hard enough as it is to deal with a ship that has a mind of its own!"

"ENOUGH BOTH OF YOU!" Mitsuro shouted. "Let's stay focused on the battle at hand here!"

"Sorry," Zeke murmured. Antov merely scowled before he suddenly tightened his grip on the steering wheel and wrenched it to the left, forcing the ship into a high-speed turn.

Mitsuro grabbed onto one of the consoles swiftly, so she stayed upright, but Tai was sent flying into the wall of the bridge. He swore under his breath as he sat up and rubbed his head.

"Sorry, Tai!" Antov said.

"It's all right," the young man muttered. He still couldn't believe that even after he and Andrew had returned to the ship the other vessel was still willing to slug it out!

The high-speed turns enabled them to dodge the incoming shells, but barely. Yet each time they did so. The Master of Legends' ship was just too strong for them normally.

At least until Mitsuro growled to herself. "That does it! This isn't getting us anywhere!" she muttered. "We need something to overcome that ship!"

"A lot easier said than done, thank you very much!" Antov growled. "How do you expect us to fight this thing with very low ammo and compromised armor?"

"Let me think!" she spat.

She glanced back out and wracked her brains, scanning from side to side to see if there was anything that could be of any use to them.

As her gaze landed on a pillar of rock extending up into the air, an idea formed in her mind. It was risky, and very desperate, she knew, but they still had to take the chance. She looked back at Antov. "Antov, steer us towards that pillar of rock!" she ordered.

He gaped at her as her plan became clear. "Are you insane, woman?" he cried. "We could get killed!"

"True, but right now it's the only option we have of overcoming this guy and stopping him before we run out of ammo and he corners us!" Mitsuro snapped.

Antov glanced back at the pillar before nodding. "All right."

He steered the ship in that direction, using the magnetohydrodynamic engines' great power to push the vessel through the water at speeds that most other ships couldn't match. The bow cut through the water swiftly like a knife through butter, forcing the sleek ship to bounce roughly. But they could take it.

* * *

The Master of Legends noted their direction and he smiled, shaking his head. Such children when compared to his abilities. If they truly thought that they could get him to fall for such an obvious ploy, then they were wrong.

But what he didn't realize was that they were the ones setting _him_ up.

And not in the way he expected.

* * *

Mitsuro peered out the bridge wing windows and smiled. He was heading around the opposite direction. "All right! Now come back around once he's out of sight around the bend! We're gonna give him a real surprise this time!" she said.

Antov complied. Tai peeped out the bridge windows and glanced back. "He's gone!" he exclaimed.

"All right!" Mitsuro snapped out an order to the ship's AI. "JAS-1, drop anchors and get the guns ready, along with the other gunners!"

The AI complied without a word. Mitsuro frowned as the order was carried out. '_Again without a word. What's happening here?_' she wondered.

The gunners' chatter caught her attention and she turned back to the bridge windows, returning to the situation at hand. Now all they had to do was wait for the right time.

It seemed like forever until the ship's bow nosed around the corner. It began to round the bend and Mitsuro smiled. "NOW!" she cried.

The guns roared in sync with one another, slamming into the base of the rock, and blowing it up. The rest of the rock pillar fell right towards the ship of the Master of Legends. He smiled and closed his eyes as he saw this. "My time in battle is up," he murmured to himself. He focused on the safety of shore and warped out in a flash of white light, just as the pillar fell on top of his ship and penetrated the engine room, causing it to blow up.

He was sure of it now. They were indeed the Chosen Ones.

Now all that remained was to tell them what he knew of the truth about the one called Matthew Luther.


	18. Secrets Revealed Part 5

_The _Rising Dawn_successfully defeated the ship of the Master of Legends. When he summoned them to the temple, he told them some surprising information: what they had learned prior about Matt was a lie. He then proceeded to tell them part of Matt's past, but the rest was up to them to figure out. Now, they are about to return home with this new information..._

* * *

**Chapter 18 - Secrets Revealed - Part 5**

The _Rising Dawn_ glided through the water as Mitsuro studied the results of her little plan. The silvery white warship they had been facing minutes earlier was now nothing more than a pile of burnt metal and twisted wreckage. It didn't seem likely that anyone could've survived that blast, but something told her that the Master of Legends still lived, even if by a long shot.

"Wow… I never thought that would be the result of this," Tai whispered.

"Yeah. But something tells me that the one we're here to see survived," Mitsuro said.

"Well, if your gut's right, then we have to find him," Antov said. "And judging from the explosion we saw, I don't think anyone survived."

"Oh yeah? Then explain _that!_" Pearl snapped, pointing out the window.

Antov whirled, and he gasped in shock as he stared at the Master of Legends himself. He stood on top of a second pillar of rock, his cane placed before him with both hands resting on the top. His long white hair and beard waved in the wind, along with his robe. He had a smile on his aged face, a smile that sent shivers down the backs of those present.

"How'd he survive?" the Russian asked in shock.

"I don't know, and I don't care!" Mitsuro said. "But we're gonna try and get those answers now!"

But before anyone could make a move, the Master of Legends removed his cane from the ground and pointed it at their ship, one hand removed from it.

"You have done well," he said, his voice echoing over the entire island. "You have proven that you are indeed the Chosen Ones!"

"What are you talking about?" Zeke roared as he barged out onto the bridge wing.

"You are the Chosen Ones as told of in legend," the Master said. "You have beaten me in combat and have proven that you wield the qualities that make you the right ones to face the Shadow Lord and his minions in combat!"

"Excuse me? What does that have to do with Matt?" Zeke snapped.

The Master lowered his cane and turned to face them. He then raised his cane, the tip now glowing with an energy that was not of the Shadows, but of a higher plane of power. He lowered it and the energy gathered near the tip fired in a bright white beam that struck the ship and erupted outward in all directions. Mitsuro and those present threw up their arms to shield their eyes from the intense light just as a feeling similar to warping filled their bodies and faded.

Mitsuro slowly lowered her arms and gaped in shock when she saw their surroundings.

All around them were walls of bright silver metal laced with golden energy pulsing in strange symbols that weren't Japanese or anything of that nature. Pillars inscribed with runes soared up to the ceiling where an image of the world flashed golden light. Hallways led deeper into the depths of this new place and stairways went up to higher levels and down to lower floors. On some spots of the walls were images that were in color, each one depicting either a battle or a scene of some kind. A glance at the floor showed the same golden lines going towards the center of the room where a Japanese symbol was pulsing with the same golden light as the rest of the room.

Mitsuro looked around, stunned at the room before them. "Where are we?" she asked.

"I don't know," Antov whispered. "But wherever we are, there is sure a lot of golden light."

Tai was just silent as he stared at the room.

Pearl frowned. "I don't like this place," she murmured.

"Well, there's nothing that we can do about it. We're stuck here until we can get out of here. And it looks like that we won't be able to get out," Mitsuro mused.

"And that's what I don't like!" Zeke snapped. "Trapped here with no way out."

"_Ah, but there is a way out. However, before you can leave, you must hear my story._"

The lighting in the room suddenly dimmed and that caught their attention. The team spun to face the center of the chamber just as a soft white light filled the center. The light began to take on the shape of a man and as it faded, they could see the Master of Legends.

"What do you want?" Zeke snarled.

"Only to tell you what you don't know of Matthew Luther's past," the Master said.

"Wait. What we _don't_ know about his past?" Mitsuro cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"What you were told about young Luther's past was incorrect," he said. He began walking toward them. "While some aspects are true, others are false."

"So what you're saying is that that man told me and Hunter a _lie_?" Tai blurted.

The Master of Legends nodded his head. "Yes." He looked at each of them. "It was a lie. He intended to mislead you so that way you would seek out the wrong power to defeat the Shadow Lord."

"So, he wanted us to seek out the power of darkness?" Hunter asked softly.

He nodded. "Yes. And that power would've been your downfall."

"But why? What does that have to do with us?" Mitsuro asked, stepping forward hesitantly.

"The reason is simple," the Master said. "To kill you and prevent you from aiding the world in its darkest hours."

He turned and walked over to the temple wall, pointing his cane at one of the pictures inscribed on the metal. "What I am about to tell you has a small part of young Matthew's history in it. But the rest is up to you to find."

"Hold on just one minute, mister!" Pearl snapped. "Why even tell us this in the first place? What do you want to get out of it?"

"Nothing, other than to impart with you some knowledge that could very well help you overcome your greatest adversaries and save the worlds from destruction," the Master murmured.

"But being chosen? Why us in the first place?" Tai whispered.

"Because it was told in a legend by one of the very first shamans," the Master said softly. "However, in order to understand your role in all this, I must go back to the very beginning."

"It all began with the Shadow Lord. He was one of the most powerful duelists back before all of this happened. He was the best of the best, and yet was also one of the most down-to-earth, honest guys out there. Despite his wealth, he never exhibited ego or arrogance. He had his pride, yes, but only on the dueling field. He was loved, revered, and even hated by many. Some duelists became his friends solely due to his generosity and kindness towards others. Yet he was one to never be manipulated. Whenever he sensed it, he broke off the friendship with that very person. No one came even close to matching him. He was the perfect human being.

"But then, one day, he entered a tournament. Everyone knew that he was going to win, but at the same time, there was something wrong with this tournament. It seemed like it was too good to be true, with every duelist gathered there in the world. Even he was invited, but due to his instincts being right, he never told anyone about his theory that it was some kind of a trap. So he stayed in a hotel farther off than closer to the stadium.

"He rose through the tournament rapidly, winning most duels and making a few of them ties. That was the hardest he had ever dueled in his life. After each duel, he became aware that there was some kind of sinister energy in the air. It seemed to him that it drained him of strength, made him weaker, and robbed him of his energy. He was becoming sleepy in some matches, but he forced himself to stay awake by shaking his head or drinking coffee during duels.

"These tactics worked to an extent. But by the time the finals came around, the trap was sprung." Here the Master of Legends bowed his head. "And that day changed his life forever."

"How so?" Mitsuro asked.

"It changed him as a person. He was one of the two that made it to the top. At first the duel began like any other. It was only when his opponent drew his next card that he became a different man. Dark energy erupted from that card, becoming a mist that surrounded them both and transported them to a new realm. The entire stadium was brought there, right on this very island. In fact, this island is what ties the Shadow Realm to his home world.

"And it was where the duel was fought. He dueled with everything he had, fighting to save the stadium and those he saw as friends as well as his family. But what his opponent didn't say was that every time he lost life points, he would lose people very close to him. It also happened with his monsters; every time a monster was destroyed, someone close would die. Same with spells and traps.

"He was shocked and horrified at this. He didn't like it, so he wanted to try and end the duel before it got worse. The good thing was that every time he inflicted damage to his opponent, made him lose a spell or trap, or destroyed an opponent's monster, someone would come back. But it wasn't as easy as he had hoped. He was losing badly, and those close to him were dying rapidly. He wanted to know why this man was after him. So he asked why.

"His opponent responded saying that he was a threat and needed to be stopped. But he doubted it. So he attacked and inflicted damage equal to the life points he lost. He brought back some of those he lost, but it wasn't enough. He pleaded with God to grant him the power to win, no matter where it came from, even if it was from the shadows around him!

"His plea was answered and he gained the power to win. Energy began to flow into his cards and he sensed this. He knew it was his key to victory. When he drew, he saw that the shadow energy had changed his cards. It gave them greater powers and he was glad for this power. He summoned forth a new monster, one that defeated his opponent and restored those he lost.

"After that, he was seen as a world hero. He realized that this newfound power would give him the chance to save the world from evil. So he adopted a new name: Shadow Lord. Each time an evil force appeared, he fought them, using his shadow powers to save the world. And for a while, everything was perfect. He was receiving the attention of a hero and the world loved him. He became well known the world over. He even had a fan club.

"Then he met her. A pretty woman he took as his wife. She loved him for who he was and what he was capable of. It was a perfect match. The world turned out to celebrate the wedding, and it all was just perfect for him. Nothing could go wrong." The Master of Legends paused, letting the others take this in. He could see on their faces shock and disbelief. But he knew that wouldn't last for long. He continued the tale.

"But then, ten years after they married, everything changed. He began to act strangely, becoming more and more evil until finally, twenty-five years after he attained the power of the shadows, he went insane. He killed his wife, their child, and began a campaign to destroy the world's nations and rebuild them in his image. He drew upon his shadow powers and summoned creatures to do his bidding. He challenged the entire world, and the world lost. Vicious fighting raged for months, years, decades. Then, a century later, all was lost.

"During this time, a small group of engineers, scientists, duelists, technicians, and other tradesmen and soldiers worked to develop a temple on the very island where it all began. They sealed all of the past knowledge into it, protecting it from harm. Then they asked the six best duelists of the team to take over its guardianship, led by a Master Defender. While the fighting raged all around them, the people here worked to keep the secrets of the past safe.

"Yet this wasn't without risk. The people who designed the temple knew that the shadows would infect its workings and change it. But it was changed for the better. The temple gained an intelligence based on the knowledge stored within its databanks. The Master Defender and the Six Defenders became known as the Elemental Duelists and the Master of Legends as time went on.

"The Shadow Lord destroyed all records of the past. Nothing survived."

The Master of Legends looked at the floor of the temple beneath his bare feet. "That's when the War began. The Shadow Lord knew of other realms out there and he began a campaign to try and rule them. His first victim was a world called Strom, and it fell after a vicious bombing by shadows. After that, it was only a matter of time before other worlds began to fall as well."

"So, what about us?" Mitsuro asked.

"Hold on one minute, Commander!" Zeke snapped. "How do we even know that this is true?" He glared at the Master of Legends.

"Just listen. Then you can decide if it is true or false," the Master said.

"Fine!" Zeke huffed.

The Master glanced up at the paintings around them. "The shamans came back into existence, and they took on different names in an attempt to keep the past alive. There are numerous shamans all over the globe, and many of them have joined a small group of survivors from the past in an attempt to reclaim freedom for everyone. But so far nothing has been done. The Rebellion fears retribution for them. As do the Futurists."

"How did they come into being?" Tai asked.

"We came into existence right after the War reached its climax. We wanted a better future for everyone. And freedom. That is why we are here," the Master said. "But it is not just us that wants a better future."

"What do you mean?" Pearl inquired.

The Master stepped closer to one of the paintings and tapped his cane to it. "There are others who want a better future. One of them foretold of your involvement. And thus the legend was born."

"But what about Matt?" Mitsuro asked.

"The one who foretold of your involvement in the War was part of a ritual in which a great spirit was sealed in young Matthew's body. It turns out that this spirit was also the one who foretold of your involvement. He was chosen as a vessel for this spirit, and thus your young friend became the one to house him. And as a result he was given the ability to fight off the shadows and to defend those who he knows or are close to him in distance," the Master said.

"So, Matt is really a human?" Pearl asked.

The Master nodded as he turned back to face them. "Yes. He is pure human. But other than that, I have no clue as to what his past is. That is up to you to figure out."

"Okay. Just one last question. What about my brother?" Mitsuro asked.

He stepped closer and tapped his cane to her chest. "Your brother is being held within the old prison of Alcatraz. However, there are shadow guards roaming around, keeping the prisoners in, and others out. But, there is a way for him to break free. And he is in the middle of doing so. So when your ship acts up, let it. For then all will be set in motion for the liberation of my world, and the defense of yours."

As soon as he finished those words, Mitsuro felt a strange sensation in her body, and then she blacked out on the spot.

* * *

When she came to, she felt the rocking of the ship beneath her. She knew where she was instantly. She opened her eyes and looked around as she sat up. They were back on the _Rising Dawn_, and they were farther out at sea than before. Plus, the island was gone.

"Now what?" Tai asked softly.

Mitsuro knew instantly. "We go home. The sooner we go, the better. Plus, I have a feeling that we may be coming here again soon."

Tai and the others nodded.

As they focused on their home, at that instant, in a cell within the old prison, a form yelled out and let loose his mind. His body slumped against the wall, prompting his companion to look over and smile weakly. "You did it. Now go, and join the Heaven's Guardians to protect your home from harm. I know you can do it." And with that, the form passed on, his body falling limp.

At the same time, deep within the ship's systems, a new function came online…


	19. Hunt for the Truth

_Mitsuro and her friends headed out to Avesta in order to find some new information on Matt's past. But at the same time, Sora began investigating a new means of beating Mitsuro. Now, can Mitsuro and her crew find new information on Matt, and what of Sora? What is his new card and ability going to yield?_

* * *

**Chapter 19 - Hunt for the Truth**

*BEEEP!* *BEEEP!* *BEEEP!*

The alarm clock beeped harshly, forcing Mitsuro to wake up from her sleep. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Man! That's the last time I set it that loud!" she grumbled. She threw the covers off her body and leapt out of bed, stretching her muscles.

She turned and walked over to the window, pulling open the blinds and sighing as the sun touched her face. She smiled and threw open the window.

Above the hotel was a clear blue sky. Not a single cloud was visible and only a few birds chirped as they flew overhead. A few cars drove past the building, but for the most part it was quiet. Mitsuro walked out onto the balcony and placed her arms on the railing as she gazed up at the sky, reflecting back on what happened after they had returned home.

_YGXYGXYGX-Flashback-YGXYGXYGX_

"_So, now what?" Tai asked._

"_Well, we're gonna have to find the manager of the orphanage where Matt was adopted from," Mitsuro said. "This way we can learn as much as we can about his past."_

"_I still don't understand why we have to learn about that boy's past. Isn't that snooping and stalking?" Henry asked._

"_It may be, but this time we have no choice. The more we learn, the more prepared we can be if we ever come across the Ghost Duelist or his henchmen," Mitsuro explained. "Ever since the day I dueled this Albedo girl, I've been getting a feeling like something is off at Duel Academy. It's almost as if there's some connection to him that we have very little knowledge about. Whatever is going on there, it's connected to Matt somehow."_

"_So by trying to learn about his past, you're thinking that we may find the connection?" Antov asked from by the helm._

_Mitsuro nodded. "Yes. And maybe the truth about the Ghost, as well."_

_YGXYGXYGX-Flashback-YGXYGXYGX_

_The ship appeared out of the golden light right in the middle of a massive storm. The rain suddenly began to lash at the hull and bridge windows, sounding like many claws tapping against something hard. The rainwater streamed down the windows in sheets and the bow surged under a wave that nearly swamped the small vessel._

"_AAAH!" The crew was thrown to the floor, except for Antov._

"_Okay!" the Russian exclaimed. "Maybe appearing here wasn't such a good idea!"_

"_Well, where else did you expect us to?" Tai snapped. "A ship appearing out of nowhere in broad daylight would get people wondering if something was up! And that's the last thing we need right now!"_

"_Enough!" Mitsuro snapped at Tai. "I know it's a bad idea myself, but right now we have no other choice. We need to keep this ability of ours a secret until the time is right to reveal it!"_

"_And when will that be?" Tai asked._

_Mitsuro shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. But for now, it's best to keep it quiet for now."_

_YGXYGXYGX-Flashback-YGXYGXYGX_

_The ship pulled into port right after the storm passed, a real shocker to the harbor personnel who had remained to man the place. After a quick discussion, the _Rising Dawn_ was allowed to dock, and soon the crew split up to follow different leads, each one pertaining to Matt's past. Antov and a small group would go to find Matt's foster father while Tai and a group would head off towards the orphanage where Matt had been adopted from._

_The first group consisted of Antov, Mitsuro, Hunter, and Pearl. The second group contained Tai, Henry, Andrew, and Zeke. They made the appropriate arrangements and soon they were off._

_YGXYGXYGX-End Flashback-YGXYGXYGX_

It had taken them a few days to reach the town where Matt's foster father lived. After checking into the hotel, they began their research into where he lived. So far things proved to be a failure, and each time they tried to follow a new lead, it led to a dead end.

She looked down at the parking lot below and began to wonder if it was even really worth it. If they didn't find the man, they'd have to leave within the next few days. (The harbor personnel had granted them only a week at port there.)

"Geez. How long does it take to find this guy?" she murmured.

* * *

Sora Mikano was walking down the sidewalk of a small California town, his eyes fixed on the clear blue sky himself. He recalled each of the duels he had been in, but he felt a bit disappointed. None of his previous opponents were good enough to really provide him with a challenging duel. He looked down and sighed.

He kicked a can and it went rolling down the street.

A foot reached out and placed itself on top of the can. "Well, now," a voice said. The speaker reached down and picked up the can, dropping it into a nearby trash can. "Why don't you pick up the trash instead of spreading it?"

Sora whirled around at the speaker's voice, his hand flying for his Duel Disk. "Who are you?" he hissed.

"Just be calm. I am not here to harm you," the speaker said. The form began to step out from the shadowy alley and Sora's eyes widened as he saw the speaker was a young man not much older than himself.

"What do you want?" Sora asked.

"Nothing. I just want to talk," the man said. "Me and my companion." From beside him a pretty young woman stepped out of the shadows. For some reason, Sora felt a chill run down his spine. It creeped him out for no reason, and that bothered him.

"What is it?" Sora asked again, this time tensing for a fight if need be.

The man laughed, along with the woman. "Like he said, we only wish to talk, not fight."

Sora relaxed a bit, but he said nothing.

"Perfect. Now, we have been watching you," the man said. "And judging from what we've seen, you are a very strong duelist."

"Yes, I am," Sora said. "But so far each of my opponents hasn't been that good to really provide me with a challenge."

"I see. Well, that may all change soon," the woman said. "The new school year will bring forth many worthy opponents for a man of your skill and talent."

"Some may even possess greater skill than you," the man whispered.

"So? That means I'll lose!" Sora spat. "I lost once to a Duel Academy wench named Mitsuro Itachu and during the tournament a while ago, she nearly beat me again! I'd give anything to stop her, even if it means gaining new skill!"

The woman smiled softly. "Well, maybe we can give you a little something that may be of some help," she said.

Sora perked up, his eyes locking onto her. "Huh?"

"You heard her. We can help you get stronger," the man said with a grin.

He looked at the two seriously. "Is there some kind of a catch to this? And what kind of help are you talking about?" he asked in a low voice.

The woman smiled as she looked at her friend. Sora frowned. '_They must be married._' Sora thought to himself.

"It's not much. Just a new ability and a new card," the woman said.

"What kind of new ability?" Sora asked cautiously. Something told him not to trust these people, but his greed and determination to beat Mitsuro was stronger than caution. He gave in.

"We know of your telepathy," the man said, "and of how you can read people's minds. That is a very handy power in duels. But judging from what you said, it appears that this Mitsuro Itachu woman is strong enough to prevent you from reading her mind, yes?"

Sora nodded. "Yes. She is. I tried to, but she kept erecting walls. Then she tapped into the link and actually cut it. I don't know how she did it, but she did."

"Then this new ability shall prove of great use to you," the man said. "It is a new technique in which you can mislead your opponent with false images. By projecting images into their mind, you may be able to conceal your true strategy from them."

That got him. A way to conceal his tactics and strategies from Mitsuro? He looked at the two with a renewed respect. "Can you teach me this?" he asked eagerly.

The woman nodded. "Yes. But not through simply learning it. You must gain it through a duel."

Sora whipped out his Duel Disk and slid his deck into the holder. "I'm more than willing to do so!" he said.

The woman smiled and activated her own. "Very well. Let us begin."

* * *

_A few days later…_

Mitsuro glanced up from her deck just as Antov came into the room. "Antov. What's going on?" she asked.

"We finally have a lead after all this time," he said, handing her a slip of paper with an address written on it. The lieutenant commander smiled as she looked at it.

"Where did you find this?" she asked.

"I did a quick search on the Internet and I found some news articles concerning some abusive people," the Russian said. "I noticed that the town where they live is called Avesta or something like that and the people mentioned in the articles have the last name Luther. Sound familiar?"

Mitsuro's eyes widened. "Wait. Luther?" She snatched the paper and realization dawned on her. "Hold on. Is this Matt's foster family?"

Antov nodded. "Yes. A quick hacking into a records database for social services proved it. Matt is one of the kids they adopted."

"Damn time we got a lead!" the commander said. She grabbed her uniform from the bed and ran into the bathroom, shoving the paper back at him.

It didn't take her long to get dressed and soon they were out by the ship where the others were waiting. "It's about time," Tai grumbled. "We searched all over the place and nothing came to the fore about the manager of that orphanage!"

"Well, maybe this time we have a real lead," Mitsuro said as she glanced at Antov.

The big Russian showed them the slip of paper. "We're heading back out. This time to Avesta."

* * *

The plane to the city's airport was a bit delayed due to a collision between two airport security cars, but other than that, things were uneventful. As soon as the plane landed, the five officers left the airport and checked into the hotel. After that, it was a simple matter of tracking down Matt's foster family.

The first thing they did was search for the place where they lived. As it turned out, after some probing around, they found the house right at the address written on the paper.

Antov frowned as he studied the place through his binoculars. "Not a good place for _anybody_ to live in," he muttered.

Pearl nodded. "Yeah…" She peeped out through the open door of the sedan they had rented. "It seems like the place has been abandoned for years…"

"Hardly!" Tai snapped from the passenger side. He pointed with a finger at the door. Sounds and scuffling could be heard coming from inside. "There's definitely something going on here, and I don't like it!"

Henry threw the sedan into drive and floored it. The tires screeched and dug at the pavement before gripping and throwing the vehicle through the air towards the house. He slammed on the brakes and spun the wheel as well, sending dirt everywhere as the sedan slid to a stop in front of the house. "Let's go!" Mitsuro called.

The naval officers reacted as they piled out of the sedan, each running toward the house from a different direction. Tai came from the left, picking up an old hockey stick as he did so. Pearl had out her gun in an instant as she came from the right. Mitsuro withdrew her service pistol and held it in her hands as she plastered herself to the ground, lying right at the door. Antov held his own gun in his hand as he ran up to the porch and knelt down. Henry by now had parked the sedan and was already flat against a tree with an armful of rocks held close to his body.

The scuffling got worse and then a loud scream echoed across the area. It wasn't a sound that Mitsuro wanted to hear again. She scrambled to her feet and ran up to the broken steps, leaping over them and landing on the sagging porch. She looked back. "C'mon!" she said.

Antov, Tai, Pearl, and Henry all joined her on the porch by the door. Antov drew back his foot and kicked the door in, sending it crashing against the wall. In front of them was a sight they never swore to forget.

Kids lay everywhere with wounds. Some were cut with a knife, and some had bruises on their bodies while a few had burns on the soles of their feet. Blood lay in puddles on the floor by some of them. The man before them was much like Mitsuro had expected, with his beer gut and tank top soiled by the blood and sweat of his abused charges. His pants were torn and tattered from the fight and he had a huge beard that went down past his chest and to his waste. His fingernails looked like claws and his teeth were starting to decay. His eyes were bloodshot and unfocused, a clear indication of alcoholism. In his hands he held a gun and a knife.

"_You monster!_" Antov roared. He held up his gun and fired off a few shots, prompting the big man to dodge them.

"Whaddya want?" he asked, his words slurred. "If you social workers want me, then come and get me!"

The big Russian snarled as he held his gun at the man's chest. "We're not social workers!" he hissed. "We're with the US Navy! And we wanted just information! But now…" He swept his gun around at the carnage. "…we'll have to also report you to the police and get these kids outta your care!"

"What, these runts? None of 'em really matter to me anymore, especially since my slave left me and never came back!" the man replied.

"_SLAVE?_" Antov was now positively pissed.

"Yeah. That Matt boy. He was very useful as a slave. But then he started running away and never came back. That's when I needed someone else. I got one of the other kids I adopted to do my work, but when they didn't do it as well as I had hoped, I beat that kid and asked the next one to do the same job. But they all didn't do it that good. So then I had a thought. Why not just get rid of 'em? Then I can always get more kids," the man said. Due to his drunk state, he didn't even realize what he was saying. But that only spurred Antov to anger.

"That's it! Get over here!" the Russian snapped. He holstered his gun and ran at the man with his fists clenched.

The man, Matt's foster father Mr. Luther, dodged his punch and slashed with his knife, forcing the other man to dodge to the side. He landed and slipped in a puddle of crimson liquid, but he didn't go down. Instead, he used his slide to amplify the momentum and force of his next punch. Mr. Luther couldn't dodge it because the move caught him off guard. The blow connected solidly with his jaw and sent him sprawling.

Antov stood at almost six feet four, with a muscular frame that weighed in at two-fifty pounds. That alone gave him great strength and force in fights. Mr. Luther, on the other hand, was only five-foot nine with a beer gut and weighing over three hundred pounds. That fifty pound difference was his advantage, but only if he could get Antov to remain still. The Russian helmsman wasn't about to let him use it, however.

Mr. Luther got to his feet and swayed before he regained his balance. He threw the knife in the middle of one of his sways. Antov stared in shock before instinct took over and he ducked it, the blade becoming embedded in one of the blood-soaked walls. The drunkard ran at the Russian and lashed out in a punch, slugging him good on the cheek and making him go down to his knees. But even down on his knees Antov was still a tough fighter. He grabbed the other man and pulled as he let himself fall to the floor. He rolled as he did so, pinning the drunken foster parent to the floor.

Antov smirked. "What? Never fought a Russian before?" he asked.

Mr. Luther snarled as he suddenly kicked out with surprising force and nailed Antov in the chin. The bigger man fell back onto the floor just as the drunk got to his feet and aimed his gun with an unsteady hand at his heart.

Tai took the upper hand at that point. He dropped the hockey stick, which was broken anyway, and ran at the drunk, his head lowered for a head butt. He slammed into the other man's beer gut, but the fat acted as a shield and threw Tai flat onto his back with the recoil. Mr. Luther turned and fired off a shot at the younger man. Tai ducked and lashed out with a sweep kick, knocking his feet out from under him. But the man was a natural drunken brawler.

He was on his feet in a flash, firing his gun and slugging it out with the two men, at least until Henry and Pearl leapt into the fray. They proved to be an additional help to Tai and Antov, but it was useless. Even against four well-trained Navy officers he was a tough opponent. As Mr. Luther fought it out with her friends and crew, Mitsuro had managed to drag the injured children to the safety of another room where she hurriedly bandaged their wounds with strips of sheets from the bunks. She glanced back as a beer bottle shattered against the wall, sending shards everywhere. She acted fast and drew the door closed, the shards embedding in the wooden shield.

"You kids okay?" she asked softly.

One of them, a girl not much older than seventeen smiled. "We've been worse," she rasped. Mitsuro shook her head.

"Not a chance," she said. "As soon as we kick this guy's ass, we're getting you kids outta this hellhole and back into someone else's care."

"Thanks, but he won't let us go," an eight year old boy murmured.

"Not if we can help it," Mitsuro explained. She removed her gun and peeped out.

The fight had gotten worse, she noticed. All four of her friends were being beaten and driven out of the house. Mitsuro frowned and stood up, opening the door and running out. She aimed her gun as she ran and pulled the trigger.

The bullet, the one that X enhanced, sped out of the barrel, spiraling through the air with a slight silvery-white sheen to it. Streaks of gold and blue were barely visible, but they were there. The shot homed in on his leg and struck home, entering one side and exiting the other.

At that point, Mr. Luther stopped, feeling the pain searing up and down his leg. He screamed as he turned, coming face-to-face with Mitsuro. The bullet, having done its job, flipped end over end as it bounced off the wall, right back into her hand. She had a grim look on her face as she reloaded it into the gun's chamber. She aimed it again, this time right at his heart and held it steady.

"All right!" she hissed. "No more holding back!"

But Mr. Luther wasn't done yet. He let out a yell as he charged at her, his claw-like fingernails extended out to kill her.

Antov looked at Henry, Tai, and Pearl. He nodded.

The four got to their feet and ran at the man, tackling him as one. The five landed on the blood-stained floor with a loud crash. The loud noise woke up the other occupant of the house. A woman wearing no clothing ran out of the master bedroom and screamed in shock and surprise when she saw her husband pinned underneath four naval officers and a woman holding a gun to his heart.

Mitsuro calmly aimed her pistol and spoke in a low tone. "Get back. Or else."

The woman complied. She ducked back into the room and shut the door.

Mitsuro turned back to the man who was glaring at them. "Now, let's talk."


	20. Luther's Revelation

_After gathering information about Matt's past from his abusive father, Mitsuro and her friends leave the town and head back out to sea. But during that time, Sora wins a duel against a mysterious woman and her companion. He is given a new card, and perhaps some new powers as well. And a mysterious entity comes online deep within the _Rising Dawn_..._

* * *

**Chapter 20 - Luther's Revelation**

Mitsuro knelt down by Mr. Luther, her eyes cold and hard. "Now, let's talk."

Mr. Luther glared at her. "What do you want?" he hissed.

"We just want to find out information about Matt!" Tai spat. "And no holding information back!"

The man merely spat a glob of saliva at him. Tai ducked it and it hit the wall behind him. "Oh, that's it!" the young man spat. He grabbed Mr. Luther by the shirt and lifted him up off the floor, despite the fact that there were two other men and a woman sitting on top of him!

"What do you know about Matt's past?" he snarled.

"You want to know?" Mr. Luther asked.

"Yes!" Tai hissed.

"Like I know! Ask those brats you fought to save!" the bigger man growled.

"Tai, you and the others try and get information out of him. I'm gonna talk to the other kids," Mitsuro ordered as she stood up.

"You got it!" Antov said.

She headed over to the room where the injured youths were sheltered. The door was still slightly open. She entered and closed it so they couldn't hear or see what the others were going to do. And personally, she didn't want to see it either, really.

One of the kids wasn't that much older than seventeen and she looked much different than the others in terms of body language. She seemed to Mitsuro to be more of an intelligent girl with goals in life.

"Um, excuse me, but who are you?" she asked.

"My name is Mitsuro Itachu," the naval officer said. "And you are?"

"Lindsay," the girl replied.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lindsay," Mitsuro said. "Are you Matt's sister?"

"No. None of us are related," Lindsay explained. "We were all adopted by that man you saw out there." Here she seemed to become more distant and withdrawn, prompting the lieutenant commander to kneel down by her.

"Hey, it's okay. Nothing's going to happen again," she murmured.

"Thanks. But it's just not what you think. He won't let us go no matter what. As long as he gets tax breaks it doesn't matter to him," the girl said softly.

"Originally we came to talk about Matt, not stop abuse," Mitsuro remarked.

"Wait. You know Matt?" Lindsay asked in shock.

She nodded. "Yeah. I do."

"Where is he?" Lindsay was clearly relived for him for some reason. Mitsuro suspected that it had to do with the old man her friends had subdued.

She shrugged. "Dunno. I think he's somewhere out in Montana, but other than that, I have no clue."

"At least he's safe," the girl whispered.

"Why? Did the old man abuse him?" Mitsuro's question was right to the point, prompting her to nod.

"Yes. He did. He treated Matt much like a slave, asking him to get food or dinner for him and his wife. It often led to confrontations between the two sometimes. The most horrific time was when Matt failed to bring him his dinner on time and he was so enraged that he came after him with his bare fists, beating him and hitting him upside the head. One blow was so savage it left him in a coma for two days," Lindsay explained. "I was so worried for him…" She lowered her head and her eyes shimmered with tears.

"Anything else?" Mitsuro asked.

Lindsay began to explain about the other things that had happened during his time there. With each passing minute, Mitsuro felt anger rising in her chest. Why anyone would put up with that was beyond her. Then she turned her attention back to the other kids.

"What about these kids?" she asked.

"Well, the others have only watched TV and have no real goals in life. Like I said before, Mr. Luther is a freeloader. All he cares about is his stupid tax breaks," the seventeen-year-old said.

"All right. Thanks for the information," Mitsuro said.

"What about us?" a small boy asked. "Will we be left here?"

The young woman turned to face him and shook her head. "No. You won't. I'll see if I can get a call in to social services so they can get you out of here and to a family that cares for you."

"Thank you," a six-year-old whispered.

Mitsuro smiled as she stepped out of the room and into the main entrance of the house. She closed the door and turned to look at her friends. "Well? Any luck?"

Tai nodded. "Yeah. We got a bunch of good information. It took only a few threats before he began to sing."

Mr. Luther glared at them as he lay trussed up with his own belt and some of his own shirt. "Ya got what you wanted, right? Now get out of my house!" he roared.

Mitsuro grabbed Antov as the Russian made to take a step toward him. "Forget it. We got what we needed. So let's go."

They stepped out of the house as the man's screams echoed up and down the street. The group left the old house behind, heading back in the direction of the airport.

* * *

_Silence was all he could hear as he came to. He had no idea as to what happened, or where he was for that matter. All he knew was that he was alive and out of there. He couldn't feel his chest rising and falling, nor his heartbeat. The pain of the shadows was gone, which was a huge relief for him. He sighed with relief._

_Now all he had to do was figure out where he was. He knew that he wasn't in an organic body for sure. But what form had he transferred his mind into?_

_He let himself relax and sent out his very being in every direction he could think of. Something began to rush through his awareness...or was it the other way around?_

_He had no time to ponder this because suddenly he felt a rushing sensation as his mind rushed through several wires into someplace else. When he came out of his dazed state, he shook himself off and looked around. Or rather, he wasn't looking around a vast space like he had expected._

_He was looking at the crystal blue ocean water. He wondered what was happening. He glanced to his left and saw ships docked at port. Several of them were containerships, a cruise ship was spotted, and a tanker ship strained at its mooring lines. He shot a glance to the right and saw the clear blue ocean extending out for miles beyond the city's boundaries. He looked forward and shock flooded his very being._

_A ship's bow…_his _bow…extended out for a short distance, complete with guns._

_Now feeling came back to him. He could feel ropes tied to his capstans, straining against the tension he was placing on them. The waves lapped at his hull and he could feel the sun warming his new armor and weapons. The wind gently blew across his decks and somewhere deep inside him he felt the smooth rumble of engines._

_Realization dawned on him and he actually laughed a little mentally. He had done it._

_He was now out of that realm forever. At least until this ship he inhabited was scrapped. But the simple feeling of being free was enough to make him grateful to even be here. He only hoped that his little sister was still alive…_

* * *

Mitsuro and her team returned to port in the next few days. As they checked back with the port authorities, Antov suddenly got a shiver down his back. He didn't know why, but it felt like something was watching them. And it wasn't human. He suddenly whirled, his hand flying for his gun.

He had it out of its holster just as she noticed him. "Antov? What's going on?" she asked.

The Russian turned to look at her. "Something's watching us," he said.

"Uh, hello? We're the only ones here!" Pearl said, throwing up her arms in exasperation.

"Pearl's right," Henry said. "It's just us."

"Okay…" Antov trailed off uncertainly as he holstered his gun. He glanced around a few times before he sighed. "Okay. I guess you're right."

But he couldn't shake that feeling of unease…

* * *

_A few days ago…_

Sora panted as he glanced at the woman before him. She was a much better duelist than he had expected, using his own strategy against him. He looked at his field, grateful that he had out Sora - the Keyblade Wielder (8/3500/4000). But even so, she had out on her own field a monster that rivaled his, and one he hadn't even heard of: Dark Cannon (7/3200/3500). And with its special ability, he was in deep trouble.

He closed his eyes and struggled to summon forth his powers. He felt the sensation of reaching out to her, forcing himself to connect.

It worked. He saw her hand as clear as day. And what he saw scared him. He had to try and win this duel somehow! He opened his eyes, breaking the connection. "You will go down!" he said.

"Not if I can help it," the woman purred.

"Try me!" Sora snapped.

He grabbed the top card of his deck and whipped it out. "I draw!" He glanced at it and smirked. With this, he would win for sure! But then something went off in his mind. What if she was…_expecting_ him to use the card he had drawn? That would mean the end of him in this duel. And he wouldn't become strong enough to beat Mitsuro!

He had to win, even if it meant drawing on the power of the shadows!

He closed his eyes and reached down deep into himself, searching out a hidden reservoir of strength. He probed and hunted within the recesses of his own mind and heart, reaching down into his soul and the darkest part. And then he saw it.

The means to win the duel.

He focused on that small part of himself and within his mind a new power activated.

The woman sensed something change deep within the young man. She knew what it was, but even so it startled her when a surge of energy erupted from around him and spread out, ruffling his clothing and hair as it did so. He opened his eyes, but this time they were a bit glazed. As he made eye contact with her, she felt something enter into her mind and she gasped.

She saw him laying a card facedown and summoning out a Heartless Shadow (1/500/600).

The woman blinked and shook her head. Just as quickly as it had come, it faded. Once she opened her eyes, she stared in shock at the Keyblade his monster held. It was glowing with bright white energy and she gaped. "What happened?" she asked.

"I guess I was able to conceal my move from you," the boy said, smirking. "And now I'll finish this duel with Sora! Attack her Dark Cannon and end this!"

The boy with the Keyblade dashed forward and leapt up into the air, his weapon glowing even brighter. He slashed with it, cutting right through her cannon and causing it to explode in a bright flash of light. The woman winced as her life points dropped to zero.

She looked up and laughed. "Well done, young man. You have successfully acquired the power to project images into others' minds. And as a result, you shall be given a brand new card."

She turned to look at her companion and nodded.

The man stepped forward and held out his hand. "This is your prize," he said.

The young man took it, staring at it in shock. He glanced up at them. "Are you sure?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes. Now take it, and go forth. Beat your rival and become the best duelist you can be. And maybe, if you wish, we can give you some more power…"

The young man was now looking at her with greed in his eyes.

She smiled to herself. Oh, this would be good indeed…

* * *

The _Rising Dawn_'s bow cut through the water swiftly like a laser through flesh as the engines hummed with power. Behind them was a wake of great width and beauty, reaching out to either side like wings of an angel.

Mitsuro stood on the bow, gazing out at the sea with a faraway look in her eyes. She was busy thinking of the unusual connection between them, Matt, and the unknown realm. Something was not right here and she knew it. For one thing, why was it that they were the ones chosen to help in some war? And what did this have to do with the Ghost?

All these questions and more floated around in her mind…

At least until Tai nudged her.

She turned to look at the young man beside her. "Tai…When did you get here?" she asked.

"I was here for a few minutes before I nudged you," he explained. "Were you thinking about something?"

She nodded. "Yeah. About the things we learned in the seven weeks we've been together."

"Oh. Right." Tai looked out at the sea with her. "Well, don't worry. We'll get through this."

She smiled. "Yeah. Thanks, Tai."

The young man smiled back as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Mitsuro turned back to the sea. "But…there's one thing that's bothering me."

"What?" Tai asked.

"We didn't find my brother," Mitsuro murmured. "And I thought we would."

"Who knows? Maybe we might," Tai assured her. "It just takes time."

"You don't get it. I thought for sure that we would find him there!" the young woman cried, suddenly tearing her arm free from his grasp and spinning to face him. "I was certain that he was there!"

"Hey, calm down. We will find him," Tai told her.

The commander sighed as she looked down at the deck of the ship beneath her feet. "It's just that I miss him so much, and now we don't even know if he's alive or not."

Tai bit his lower lip. He had no idea as to what to do next.

He hoped that somehow, someway, she would find her brother.


	21. Communications of a Dream

_Mitsuro and her friends come back to San Diego, unaware of what is coming. But along the way, Mitsuro has a dream in which her brother communicates with her. She learns of where he has been and of what has happened to him after he escaped. But he can't tell her his location for fear of losing his new body. So now she has to figure out where he is. Around the same time, Sora duels stronger duelists and his newfound power is startling and scary to them. When they get back to the base, what will happen?_

* * *

**Chapter 21 - Communications of a Dream**

The sound of the sea rushing past the ship was all she heard as she stood alone on the bridge of the USS _Rising Dawn_. Mitsuro sighed as she looked down at her deck, fingering it. She had modified it after returning home for summer vacation, adding some cards from her brother's deck into her own. So, now it contained a small portion of him as well.

She removed it from its holder and flipped through it, her eyes landing on a certain card her brother had given to her a few weeks before he vanished. Tears pricked at her eyes as she looked at it.

"Jason… Where are you?" she whispered, holding her deck close to her.

She held it close to her chest for a few minutes, feeling as if he was right there with her. It was a calm feeling, and she didn't want it to end. She stood like that for a few minutes before she removed her deck from her chest and inserted it back into its holder before slumping back in the commander's chair and falling asleep on the spot.

* * *

"_Mitsuro…"_

_That voice… It sounded so familiar…_

"_Mitsuro?"_

_Wait. Could it be…?_

_Mitsuro struggled to open her eyes and succeeded. She was still on the bridge of her destroyer, but something was off. She got to her feet and looked out the windows, noticing in shock that the ship was now in the middle of a beautiful island archipelago. She glanced around, trying to spot her crew, but they weren't there._

_She and Jason were the only ones on board._

_Jason? She whirled, her eyes widening in shock and amazement at seeing her older brother standing on the bridge with her. He looked the same as ever physically, but there was a different look in his eyes, almost as if he had been trapped somewhere for a long time._

_Jason smiled at her as he approached. "Hey, Mitsy," he teased, rubbing her hair with one hand._

"_Ah!" Mitsuro yelped as she batted his hand away. "Jason… It's really you…" she whispered, her voice filled with hope and disbelief at once. "What… Why… How?"_

"_How did I wind up here?" Jason asked._

_Mitsuro nodded. "Yeah."_

_He sighed and closed his eyes. "I'm afraid that I have to explain it simply this time. I don't know how long I can communicate with you like this."_

"_Wait, what? What are you talking about?" she asked, stunned._

"_Basically, all those years ago, when my ship went down, I was captured and held in prison within the Shadow Realm for ten years, almost eleven. I was unable to do anything, let alone feel any kind of relief from the pain of the shadows that bound me to the walls of that place," Jason explained. "It took me a while to learn a technique of 'reaching out' so I could get out of there."_

"_Wait. What do you mean by 'reaching out'?" Mitsuro asked, now confused. "And how did you get captured in the first place?"_

_Jason looked down at the deck beneath his feet. "Remember that ship that was preying on innocent vessels?"_

_Her eyes widened as she recalled that day. "You fought it?" she cried._

_He nodded. "Yeah."_

"_But that was suicide! I could've lost you! I _did_ lose you!" Mitsuro yelled. "Why did you even have to go do it? Why not let someone else do the job for you?"_

_Jason shook his head. "As for the reason, we had to do it. The only other ship was undergoing repairs in Kuwait. We were the only ones that could do it. I'm sorry. And you're wrong. I'm not dead."_

"_Huh?" She blinked, unable to fully understand what had happened. "Then, why aren't you a zombie?"_

"_A zombie is only a dead body with no true soul. But the technique that I learned from a fellow prisoner is one of transferring the mind directly from one's own body into a different form. No matter what it is," Jason told her._

_He turned and walked over to the window of the bridge, looking out at the clear blue water lapping against the hull. She joined him._

"_So, what happened exactly?" she asked softly._

_Jason shook his head. "I can't say exactly what happened, but the short story is that I was able to transfer my very mind to someplace else. And I can't say as to where. Otherwise I'll lose my shelter there. It's one of the downsides to this little trick."_

"_Not even a hint?" Mitsuro was stunned. There was some kind of price?_

_He shook his head sadly. "No. I'm sorry."_

"_So, you're free?" she asked, realization dawning. "Free from the Shadow Realm?"_

_He turned to look at her and smiled sadly. "Yeah. I am."_

_She ran at him and hugged him close. "Jason…I missed you so much," she murmured._

_Jason returned the hug. "I know. I missed you too, kiddo."_

_He removed his arms from around her and looked at her for a moment. Then a smirk spread across his face. "Well, you've grown into a very attractive young woman," he teased._

"_Knock it off!" she laughed, playfully batting his hand away._

"_And a commander of your own ship to boot. You've sure been busy," he said._

"_Yeah. But aside from that, where are you exactly?" she asked, wanting to know._

_Jason shook his head. "I said I can't tell you. Or else I'll lose my new body."_

_Mitsuro looked down at the deck beneath her feet, disappointment filling her. And when she was so close…_

"_Damnitall…" she muttered._

"_I'm sorry, Mitsuro," Jason murmured. "But it's the price for breaking free from the Shadow Realm."_

"_I know," Mitsuro said softly. She clenched her fists and her eyes flashed as she looked up. "But why does it have to be that way! Why must there be that kind of a price?" she cried._

"_I don't know, little sis. But it's just the way it is. I can't change it, no matter how much I want to," her brother murmured, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around her._

_Mitsuro threw her arms around him and started sobbing into his chest. "Jason, I don't wanna lose you again!" she sobbed._

"_And you won't," Jason whispered. "I'm not going anywhere again. I'm free this time. For good. I made sure of that when I transferred out."_

_He rubbed her back a bit before he suddenly looked up._

_Mitsuro glanced up at him, confused. "Jason?"_

_He released her and stepped back. "My time is almost up here. I have to go back."_

"_Back to your unknown shelter?" she asked._

_He nodded. "Yeah. Even though I can't say directly where I am, just know that I'm always right here with you, no matter what."_

"_What do you mean?" Mitsuro asked._

"_I'm always there. Remember that." Those were his last words as his body finally faded from sight and the calming light filled the bridge of her ship._

"_I'm always there, Mitsuro. And I always will be."_

* * *

Mitsuro snapped awake, her eyes flying open as she woke up. She glanced around the bridge, surprised that she had actually even fallen asleep there. The light from the sun shone in through the windows, making some of the consoles glimmer in the morning light.

She got out of the commander's seat and looked around, for some reason feeling like she was being watched by Jason. She had no idea as to why, but it didn't bother her in the least. She threw her arms up over her head and stretched her aching muscles. It felt good to do that.

"Man! That's the last time I fall asleep in the bridge!" she murmured.

It didn't take her long to get dressed and ready for the day. She arrived in the mess hall a few minutes after nine, right when the rest of the crew was there eating. After the kitchen staff loaded her plate with food, she took a seat beside Antov who was busy looking at a schematic of the ship's AI programming.

"Hey, Antov," she said.

The Russian glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and nodded. "How'd you sleep?" he asked.

"Fine" was her reply, but she was busy thinking about her dream. It felt so real…

* * *

Around the same time, Sora chuckled as his opponent ran off, scared and freaked out by his abilities. "Perfect," he whispered.

Ever since his duel with those mysterious people, he had started challenging more experienced duelists to duels, trying to test his new skills to their max. And so far he was winning. But there had been a few times when it had been forced to a draw by the other.

But he still hoped to duel Mitsuro and see if she could stand up to his newfound power.

He glanced out at the sea, his eyes fixed on the horizon. "Mitsuro… Next time we meet, it is you who shall lose, not me!" he hissed.

* * *

A sudden surge of energy caused a tingle to run down Mitsuro's spine. She glanced up, her eyes widening as the faintest hint of their other colors appeared in place of emerald green. Something was wrong, and she knew it.

"Hey, is something wrong?" Tai asked as he noticed her tense up.

"I…I think so," she murmured, glancing at him. "It felt like there was a surge of energy coming from somewhere close by."

"Ah, c'mon! What can be out here that can give off that kind of energy?" Hunter asked from a nearby table.

"No. It felt like a burst of shadow energy," Mitsuro said, raising a hand to her head.

"Oh, boy…" Hunter knew what that meant. It meant that a new foe was close by.

The entire crew finished eating and got to their stations an hour and a half later, prepared for anything.

But nothing showed up, making them wonder if it was just a false alarm. They relaxed a bit, but they never let their guard down.

Since it was a calm, clear day, the ship anchored off a few lesser known islands to conduct a few maneuvers to keep the crew's skills up. The maneuvers went well, and after that, Antov did a few runs on the helm to see if it was going to freeze up again. But when it didn't the crew decided to head back to San Diego and see if there was anything else that needed to be done.

However, they had no idea as to what lurked in the shadows…

* * *

_Deep in the unknown realm, the man let out a howl of rage and hatred. The reason: X was dead. His body had been found drifting in the sea close to one of the many cliffs that towered over the ruins of the city, badly mauled beyond recognition. He had never felt such rage in his life, and he wanted so badly to take out someone. But since no one was there, he threw a punch at the wall, causing it to crack and dent under the force of impact._

_He removed his hand from the wall and walked towards the window._

_He looked out upon his realm, and his eyes flashed angrily. "So, that fool thought he could betray me, huh? Well, he made a big mistake! No one can defy me forever no matter how hard they try! And this realm that dares to defy me will be the first to feel my wrath!"_

_He clenched his fist and dark energy began to flow across it. "Soon indeed!"_


	22. Revelations

_The _Rising Dawn_has returned to port for a while. And after she steps off the ship, Antov tells her a surprising tale. As a result, she learns that her brother is actually now a part of the destroyer. But she begins to wonder if she can continue to duel when she knows so little about what to do next. Around the same time, Sora meets Ishizu who tells him about the ritual used to seal the spirit inside Matt's body. Now Sora wishes to test his dueling skills against Mitsuro when both have become stronger. But will Mitsuro win the duel, or will she lose her motivation for dueling forever?_

* * *

**Chapter 22 - Revelations**

The ship pulled into port at San Diego Naval Base a week later than normal. The result was because of a nasty storm that drove the destroyer off course and forced them to take another route back. But when they reached the base, it was a relief to set foot on solid ground again. Mitsuro stepped off the ship, followed by her entire crew.

She glanced back at them with a rush of affection and friendship towards them. Even though it was only two months since she had started working with them, in that time they had become close. They knew how she led and they respected her for it. She also knew what they could and couldn't do after spending all that time with them. She finally had a closely knit crew, just like her brother.

That alone sparked some memories and tears formed in her eyes as she looked back at the ship drifting in the water gently.

"Hey, you okay?" Antov asked as he approached her.

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine. I just was remembering Jason, that's all," she said, rubbing her eyes.

"I know," the Russian said softly.

For a while, there was silence between them. Then Mitsuro broke it with one question. "Do you know what happened to Jason?"

Antov's eyes widened at the question. Did he know what happened to Jason? He had a pretty good idea, but he knew it was just a theory. And yet, why did she want to know? When he asked her this, she simply pointed at the ship.

"He came to me in a dream and explained that he was free from the Shadow Realm, and that he was no longer in a human form." She scoffed. "Apparently he shed his human body for a form that allowed him to escape the prison where he was held. But I don't believe it…at least, not really."

Antov frowned a bit. He wondered if he should keep his vow, but something in him told him otherwise. He nodded. "Yeah. I know what happened."

"What?" Mitsuro fixed her green gaze on him.

"He…He became the ship, Mitsuro." That was his reply. He watched as her eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

"But, if that's the case, then why hasn't he said anything via the ship's communications systems?" she asked. "I just don't see how it could be possible."

"Remember when our ship was acting up?" Antov remarked.

She nodded. "Yeah, but…"

"No buts!" he said, cutting her off. "That alone should've given something away! But it didn't click! Then when we went to that unknown realm, the ship was vibrating, and not in terms of engine vibrations or currents pushing against us! It felt like some_one_ was shaking. Like a human's shaking would be. And we were within the vicinity of Alcatraz during that time. Didn't it seem odd that it was acting more humanlike than before?"

When she didn't answer, he continued. "The reason is simple. There was another presence inside the AI program, and one that wasn't man-made. The AI had several missing slots that couldn't be filled by other programs. It just wasn't possible. The boys who did the programming made something that lacked key programs.

"Those slots were filled in by the unknown presence trying to take control of the ship. And that presence was your brother, Mitsuro," he said.

"It's scientifically impossible!" Mitsuro protested. She waved an arm back at the destroyer drifting idly at dock. "No human mind can inhabit a computer! It's just not possible!"

"Not everything can be explained by science," the Russian murmured. "I know that much after witnessing his attempts to get us out of there when we got transported there for a final fight. He tried his best to save us. What you don't understand is that he always put others before his own safety. Why do you think he signed up for the Navy?

"Anyway, he told us to get out of there while he took a helicopter and buzzed them, fighting the enemy all by himself. He used every tactic in the book and then some. We tried to help, but he ordered us not to, and to get out. So we were forced to watch as he engaged the enemy and paid the price for it. His helicopter was shot down and he fell into their captivity. And that's when we tried to fight back. We used our full might, but even then it wasn't enough.

"During the battle, he watched us as we fought to save him. He even pleaded with us, although we couldn't hear him; his radio had been taken from him. He screamed, cursed, and yelled at us, but we didn't leave. Instead, we dealt the ship a great deal of damage. But then, it all went downhill when they unleashed a massive volley of shells right at us.

"His ship got hit. Shell after shell penetrated right through the armor and killed other members of the crew. Every time a fire started, the damage-control teams went and put it out. They lost every member in the attempts. The engine room took a direct hit, killing most of the crew down there. Now we were without power. Nothing was working. Not even the backup generators were useful. We were doomed.

"So I gave the order to get out of there. Those of us who could still run headed for the lifeboats. But as we did so, the enemy ship opened up on us. Most of us were killed as we ran for it. Only four of us got out of there in a lifeboat. The last person with us was a SEAL, and she risked her life for us. As the enemy targeted us, she ordered the remainder of us down onto the floor of the boat. She stood up and spread her arms to the fullest.

"Then the bullets came. They struck her down and sent blood everywhere. It splattered all over us and her internal organs were shredded, as were her bones and clothing. She took the assault to save us. That was a true American soldier. We didn't have enough to give her a proper burial at sea, so instead we said a small prayer in her honor.

"Right around that time, Tai's brother began to laugh uncontrollably. He had seen many things in combat, but nothing like this. He went mad. He began kicking, screaming, punching at the air and nearly throwing the boat over with his wild movements. Me and the last member of the crew subdued him by knocking him out. When he came to, he wanted off the lifeboat, but we told him to stay. He did.

"We stayed adrift at sea for three months. We wondered if we would ever be found. Despair filled our hearts and souls, but somehow we held on. That small drive was enough to keep us going for a while longer until we were found. A search ship picked us up and brought us back to shore. And it was then that I realized what had happened. Our captain was captured by an unknown enemy, and who knew what they could do to him! So then it became my personal mission to try and find a way to rescue him.

"But I didn't know how. So for the next few years, I struggled to find a way. But then when I heard about you, I realized that maybe we could do it together. First you needed to earn the respect of the rest of the crew. And I knew that you would have a hard time of it. Yet in the end, you prevailed.

"The rest you already know." Antov looked at her as he finished his story.

"But how does that tie into…well…you know…" She trailed off, unsure of how to explain it.

Antov sighed. "I kind of knew from the start that he would want to become a ship. He told me himself that whenever he stood at the helm of the destroyer, it felt as if he _was_ the vessel. Everything it felt, he felt. It was a unity he couldn't explain."

"So…is that how?" Mitsuro asked.

Antov nodded. "Yeah. It is."

"Oh." Mitsuro glanced back at her ship, and for a brief instant, she thought she saw a glimpse of her brother smiling at her from the ship itself.

Tears pricked at her eyes and she smiled back, waving at the ship. A small part of her felt a bit foolish for doing this, but in the end it didn't matter to her.

Then, she heard it. The soft blowing of the ship's whistle. Tears pricked at her eyes as she turned and looked at Antov. "C'mon. Let's go."

* * *

Sora stepped off the plane and looked back at the many people milling about the airport. Not one of them was the person he was looking for. He scowled and began walking through the crowd. So far things weren't looking up for him.

At least until he ran into a woman in her late eighties. He collided with her and both went sprawling onto the airport floor. The woman groaned and sat up, her silver hair glinting in the light of the airport terminal. Her eyes were the deepest blue possible and on her lower eyes were lines of some kind. She wore a simple Egyptian gown and around her throat was a necklace shaped like an eye.

Sora tensed as he saw it. He knew who this was: Ishizu herself.

Ishizu got to her feet and rubbed her head. "Young man, please be more careful," she said, holding out a hand to him.

Sora accepted it and pulled himself to his feet.

"Thank you," he said.

"It was my pleasure," she said.

"You are Ishizu, yes?" Sora asked.

"Yes. I am Ishizu," the woman said.

"It is my pleasure to meet you," he remarked, bowing.

The Egyptian woman returned the bow. "The pleasure is mine, as well."

"I have been looking for someone such as you," Sora said. "My name is Sora Mikano."

"Ah, yes. I have heard of your reputation," Ishizu said calmly. "But why would you wish to seek me out?"

"I have a question pertaining to someone," the young man said.

"Who might this person be?"

"A young man by the name of Matthew Luther."

The reply struck home to Ishizu. She had heard of the boy with the spirit inside him, as she had been one of those who presided over the ancient ritual that endowed the boy with his great powers. "Yes, I have heard of him," she said.

"Then might you know something about him?" Sora asked.

"I know many things, past and present and future," Ishizu explained, her hand laying itself on her necklace. "But what is it you specifically ask of me?"

"Do you know as to why Matthew Luther has not passed out once due to Shadow Duels?" Sora asked.

Ishizu nodded. "Yes. I know why," she said. "But it is not for anyone else to know."

"What is the reason?" Sora asked a bit harshly.

"The reason why is this: there is a great spirit sealed within him, granting him great power and the ability to combat the shadows," she said. Her eyes fixed on him, and they widened when she sensed the energy flowing through him. "But it is of no importance other than to those who also possess the same power level as he."

"Who else possesses this power?" Sora wondered.

Ishizu had seen who else thanks to her Millennium Necklace, but she wasn't about to say for fear of the future that loomed on the horizon. "I cannot say. That is up to you to figure out," she said simply.

She turned and glanced at him, "I must go."

As she walked off, Sora grinned. He now knew the reason why, and he wanted to see this power for himself.

But first things first. First he had to defeat Mitsuro. _Then_ he could worry about Matt Luther later.

* * *

Back in San Diego, Mitsuro stood next to the house, gazing back at the sea. The sun was setting on the horizon, just as it had been when she first returned home. It felt like years had gone by when in reality only two months had passed. But in those two short months a great deal had happened that forced her to grow up a bit and become stronger in her own way.

Her hand unconsciously went to the scar that ran down her left eye. It was a reminder of what had happened, as were a few other scrapes and nicks that she had gained. She let her hand fall from her face and she turned back just as she saw her father emerge from the front door.

"Mitsuro…" He stepped down off the porch and walked over. "I didn't expect you back for a while," he said. "What happened?"

"A lot has happened, Dad," she said.

"Why don't you tell me about it?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I don't know. It's just all so complicated and confusing…"

John placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. And if you tell me, maybe it'll start to make sense."

"I sure hope so," Mitsuro murmured.

The two sat down on the lawn and she told her father everything that had happened in the past two months. He was proud of her for earning the respect of her crew, but he was also a bit scared of what she had gone through. When she finished telling him, he gave her a firm look. "And you went through all that just to find out information?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry, Dad."

He placed his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "It's all right. If I had been in your situation, I would've done the same thing. But seriously. Now that you know, what are you going to do?" he asked, pulling away.

Mitsuro looked down at the grass beneath them. "I don't know," she murmured. "I'll have to think about this."

John nodded and stood up, leaving her alone on the lawn.

She flopped back on the grass and stared up at the stars overhead. She could see the constellations that she knew, like Sagittarius and Ursa Minor and the Big Dipper. Jason had taught her about some of them because he had been an amateur astronomer as a teen.

The memories made tears prick her eyes again and she rubbed them with her hand.

She didn't even have any idea as to what was coming ahead of her…

* * *

The next few weeks flew by with no real eventful things happening, which was a relief, but also a bit of an unnerving thing for her to experience.

By the time ten weeks had passed, she was ready to call it quits. She didn't want to go back to Duel Academy, let alone take up another duel until she knew more about what was to come. So when Antov challenged her, she declined, which a real shocker for the Russian. But he knew better than to push it.

No one on the crew knew why, so they tried to help her in any way they knew how, but all their efforts were to no avail.

In fact, the only way she could go back was if she faced someone with enough skill to force her to go back and figure out what was going on. But no one knew that this was the solution. Not even Mitsuro herself. So when she wandered into San Diego to try and clear her head, she was completely unaware of the young man watching her…

* * *

Sora sneered as he watched her. She was without her Duel Disk, a real disappointment for him. He had wanted to duel her and test his new power against her, along with his secret weapon card. But he had a plan on how to get her to duel again.

He stepped out right into her path. She yelped as she spotted him and barely stopped herself in time.

"Well, long time no see," he teased.

"What do you want?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh, nothing really," Sora said.

"Well, just leave me alone. I'm not in the mood to duel anyone right now." She prepared to walk off, but Sora stopped her with something he knew would get her.

"Not even to find out more information?"

"About what?" Mitsuro asked harshly.

"About Matt," Sora said.

"What? You know something about him?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes. But first you have to duel me to get it."

"Forget it. Not even that could get me to duel again," she said, looking down at her feet. "And I mean it."

"Well, then that just proves how weak you really are," Sora purred.

"What? You called me weak?" Mitsuro hissed, her eyes flashing dangerously.

He nodded. "Yes. I am!" the young man sneered.

"That's a big mistake right there!" Mitsuro snarled, her hand flying for her gun. "And I'll take you out!"

"What about a duel?" Sora asked. "That's the only way you can prove to me if you are really strong like you say."

Mitsuro hesitated, but then lowered her hand. "Fine! Just say where and when!"

Sora grinned.

This was perfect. Now that she was ready, he was going to beat her, and she would feel that she was worthless. If she proved to be tougher than he was, then at least he would know what kind of cards she had, aside from her two prior duels with him.

This was it. And he knew it.

* * *

Mitsuro stormed back home, her eyes flashing with anger. How dare Sora accuse her of being weak! After all that she had gone through, he had the nerve to call her a weakling! She snarled as she headed inside.

She recalled Sora's words clearly. "_Meet me in a week at the old factory. We'll settle this there once and for all._"

And she would be ready for him.


	23. Return to Duel Academy

_Mitsuro and Sora duel against each other for the last and final time. Sora has a new trick up his sleeve. He tries to get her to doubt herself and succeeds. But an unexpected involvement forces her to see the truth, and she wins the duel. Now, feeling much more secure in herself, she is ready to face the challenges that lie ahead._

* * *

**Chapter 23 - Return to Duel Academy**

A week passed, and soon Mitsuro was in her Jeep, driving down the highway to reach the old factory where she first met X. The place was still the same, and she frowned when she noticed Sora hadn't arrived yet. Was he trying to trick her?

"Well, I see you showed up," a voice purred from the shadows. She leapt out of her Jeep and drew her gun as Sora stepped out of the shadows, his Duel Disk on his arm.

"Yeah. I did," Mitsuro murmured. "Now, let's do this!"

She grabbed her own Duel Disk from the back of the Jeep and thrust her arm into the gauntlet. She held it above her head and brought it down just as the numbers flashed multicolored. She slid her deck into the holder and got ready.

"Ready!" she hissed.

Sora smirked as he drew his cards, followed by Mitsuro.

"DUEL!" both shouted as one.

Mitsuro: 8000 Sora: 8000

"My draw!" Sora said. He swiftly drew and sneered. "Perfect! I set three cards facedown and end my turn."

Mitsuro knew from personal experience about his deck, but she hadn't even seen its full strength. She drew her card and smiled. '_Perfect! With Patrol Boat's effect, I should be able to see what cards he placed facedown. And that should be very useful._' Mitsuro thought to herself. "I set one ship facedown and follow up with three facedown cards."

As the cards appeared on her field, she hoped that she had the upper hand this time. Sora drew next and smirked. "Now I'll set one card facedown and end my turn."

'_Probably taking the defensive route,_' she thought. She bit her lower lip and drew nervously. "My next move is this: I flip summon Patrol Boat (3/1400/1300) into attack position!" The sleek grey vessel appeared on her field and she smirked. "And you know what happens next! I activate its special ability!" As she said this, a beam of light shot out and scanned all the facedown cards on Sora's field and hers. The screen appeared in the air in front of her and her eyes widened as she noticed his facedown monster.

"So that's it," she muttered. "Well, that's about to change!" She drew a card from her hand. "I summon out to the field Helicopter Support Squad (4/1300/1200)!" The air above her field became filled with helicopters, each pointing its gun at Sora. "Now, I'll have my support squad go first with the assault!" The helicopters opened fire on his concealed monster, penetrating through it and causing it to explode, sending shards of light through the air. "And now, Patrol Boat will add its firepower to the barrage!" Mitsuro said. Her ship swung its guns about and let loose with a devastating barrage that struck the ground around Sora, making him wince. A few stray shells hit the old factory, causing holographic dust to drift over the duelists.

Mitsuro: 8000 Sora: 8000 – 1300 = 6700

"I end my turn with that!" Mitsuro said.

Sora snarled as he drew and smirked. "I play Heartless Recall! Remember this?" he asked, smirking softly.

As the black mist seeped into his Duel Disk's graveyard, Mitsuro frowned. "I remember that!" she hissed. "I know what kind of effect it has."

"Then you'll remember that it allows me to summon back the Heartless that you destroyed," Sora said. He waved a hand. "So come on back, Heartless – Search Ghost (4/1800/700)!" The mist began to take on a form of a ghost, but with a white head and a wispy body clad in a purple tuxedo jacket. One of the eyes hung limply in front of it.

Mitsuro snarled as she tensed. She knew instantly that both her Patrol Boat and Helicopter Support Squad were not as strong as his Heartless. Unless… Her gaze shot to the facedown Spell on her field. She smirked. "I activate Light on the Horizon!" Almost immediately the field began to change. Holographic water appeared beneath their feet and one side of the field projected an image of the West coast, the lights shining brightly and the sky turning a bit purplish blue overhead. On the other side of the field it showed a setting or a rising sun, its colors changing the sky to a beautiful myriad of colors. "And thanks to this spell, all Light Attribute Monsters gain five hundred attack and defense points! So that means that both Patrol Boat and Helicopter Support Squad get 1800 attack points and 1700 defense points!"

"What good will that do?" Sora asked. "It only evens out the attack points, which means that both will be destroyed if one of them is attacked by my ghost."

"True, but at least it means that I won't lose any life points!" the young woman snarled.

"Fine! Search Ghost, bring down that Patrol Boat!" he cried, pointing at it. The ghost warped towards her ship and wrapped its long fingers around it, but her Patrol Boat fired its guns and caused the ghost to explode just as her ship exploded in the middle, causing it to "sink" on the spot.

"Then I end my turn," Sora said.

"All right. My draw!" Mitsuro drew her card. "Next I place one card facedown and end my turn!"

Sora sneered. Clearly she was desperate to prove him wrong about her weakness. But that could only cloud her judgment, along with confusion. He knew how to get her to lose the duel. "Nice moves…for a whore!"

Her eyes widened as the insult struck home. "Personally, I have no idea why anyone would want to be commanded by such a whore like you. I think your crew doesn't even really _trust_ you," he purred. As he said this, he focused his power and sent an image in her direction.

She gasped as the image entered her mind and took root. "You…You're lying!" she yelled, pointing at him.

"No, I'm not," Sora purred. "And I'll prove it with this next card!" He drew and smirked. "Perfect!" he said. "I activate Keyblader's Call! By removing two Heartless cards from my hand, I can summon out Sora – The Keyblade Master (8/2700/2500)!" Sora grinned as his namesake appeared on the field, grabbing the Keyblade. "Now he'll attack!" Hologram Sora crouched and leapt into the air, cutting through all her helicopters swiftly.

Mitsuro stared in shock as Hologram Sora landed back on Sora's side of the field. "I end my turn," he purred.

Mitsuro: 8000 – 900 = 7100 Sora: 6700

"Face it," he murmured. "You can't win."

"I…I can…and I will!" Mitsuro screamed. She grabbed the top card of her deck and drew. She scowled, but it would have to do. "I set one card facedown and end my turn!"

"I think not," Sora said. "Face the truth. No one would trust you."

"Why not?" Mitsuro yelled.

"You're just a glory hogging whore," Sora whispered. "You only wanted the glory that came with serving in the Navy, but it didn't suit you entirely. So you began searching for your brother in hopes of finding more glory."

"That's not true!" the young woman cried. "I only wanted to find my brother! That's why I joined in the first place! Not to gain glory or hog it!"

Sora just chuckled. "Nice try. You try to deny it, but I can see it clear as day."

"I am not a glory whore!" Mitsuro protested. "And you can't trick me!"

"Ah, but I'm not tricking you. It's the truth," Sora said. He held out his hands to show sympathy to her, but in reality, he was giddy over this. He was turning her own confidence against her.

"Now, I summon out Heartless – Red Nocturne (3/1500/1200) and attack you directly!" he shouted. As his Heartless drifted overhead, it released flames and he smirked as they touched her and she yelped, batting at the flames uselessly. "Next I'll have Sora follow up with his own attack!" Hologram Sora crouched and leapt up into the air, unleashing a shockwave that penetrated right through her and left her gasping as it finished its journey.

Mitsuro: 7100 – 1500 – 2700 = 2900 Sora: 6700

"Now I'll end my turn."

Mitsuro looked down at her deck and drew one card shakily. "I set another card facedown and end my turn."

"I thought so," Sora said softly. "Now I can take my turn and end this duel."

Mitsuro watched as he drew and sighed. "Well, I may as well spare you a bit longer," he said. "Watching you squirm is what I like best about this duel."

With that, he ended his turn.

"Why did you search for him, anyway?" Sora asked casually.

"I wanted to find him," Mitsuro whispered. "I care for him."

"If that's the case, then where is he?" Sora asked mockingly. "Oh, that's right! He's dead!" He grinned at her expression of fear and disbelief. "Face the facts. No one can come back from the dead."

"But…" She tried to protest, but Sora grinned and waved a hand.

"Sorry. That's how it is. And now…" He waved to her. "Your turn."

She drew her card and ended her turn.

Sora sneered to himself as he drew. He had also broken through her mental defenses and saw her hand. If he could get rid of those cards… Then this was in the bag.

He held up his new card and began to chuckle to himself. "This is it," he said, holding it up. "I activate my newest card…Ars Arcanum!" he cried, slapping it down on his Duel Disk.

Her eyes widened as he smirked. "This card is very special. By activating it, I can select one monster on my side of the field and have it attack. But as a price, I must discard my entire hand." As he did so, he smirked. "Now, my deck's key player will take you down!" he cried. Hologram Sora charged at Mitsuro and slashed with his Keyblade, cutting through her and making her stagger back from the impact. "And as an added bonus, I can choose to activate another effect. I discard your entire hand to the graveyard!"

Mitsuro gasped as she stared at the indicator flashing. She did just that, and with that, she slumped to the ground, staring at her life points in shock.

Mitsuro: 2900 – 2700 = 200 Sora: 6700

* * *

She didn't even hear Sora laughing. All she saw was her crew sneering at her and teasing her. She closed her eyes as tears pricked at them and streaked down her cheeks, leaving shimmering streaks behind.

"How can I do this?" she murmured. "I…I don't even know if I can win anymore!" She buried her face in her arm as she sobbed.

"What can I do?"

She had no idea and she doubted her own skill. She cried for a bit, but then a soft voice whispered in her ear.

'_Don't listen to him,_' the voice whispered. '_He's only trying to trick you._'

"I…I don't know if it's a lie or not," she whispered to herself.

'_Listen. He has no idea what you went through to get this far. Are you willing to allow him to win, get you kicked out of the armed forces, and fail in saving the world?_' the voice cried.

"I…I just don't know!" Mitsuro shouted. "I don't know what to think or do anymore! Please…someone…help me!" She broke down crying.

Then…

"_Mitsuro…_"

Her eyes snapped open as she heard Jason's voice. It was so close, almost as if he was right there with her. "Jason…"

"_Mitsuro, listen to me!_" he shouted. "_This Sora guy's just trying to confuse you! Nothing he said is the truth! He's only trying to make you doubt yourself so he can win! There's no truth to what he said about you. You're nothing like what he said. And that should be enough for you to keep on fighting!_"

"But what about my crew?" Mitsuro asked. "Do they even really trust me?"

"_What are you talking about? Of course they do!_" Jason yelled. "_They trust you greatly. Remember everything you went through with them. If they didn't trust you, would they even have accompanied you on any of the adventures you had? Of course not. That right there is proof they trust you. They followed you through to the very end of them. And you're willing to let that go?_"

"What can I do to win though?" Mitsuro murmured.

"_Just trust in yourself and your own skill. Plus, remember… I'm always there with you, even in your deck,_" Jason whispered softly.

A soft tingling sensation ran down her spine, almost as if he were close by in spirit. A warm sensation appeared on her right shoulder and a soft touch brushed her cheek. "_You can do it. Just believe and don't lose faith._"

With that, he faded away back to the ship.

She looked down at her deck, and rubbed her eyes. Jason was right, she knew. She had to trust in her own skill and in those who were her friends. She lowered her arm and staggered to her feet.

"All right, Sora. This is it!" she whispered.

Sora was staring in shock as she stood up. "But how?" he cried. "I thought that you would surrender!"

"Sorry, but it will take much more than that!" the commander spat. "Because I have friends who trust me!"

"Why, after all that I said, do you still believe that!" Sora asked.

"My brother," was her simple reply. "And for the record, he's not dead! A little lucky break enabled him to escape back to our world!" She smirked. "As my ship!"

"But that's just a bunch of shit!" Sora yelled.

"Not anymore!" Mitsuro said. "And it's my draw!"

She drew and scowled, but it would have to do. "I activate Defensive Covering Fire!" As she slapped the card down, holographic guns appeared on both sides of the field right in front of both duelists. "This prevents any monsters from attacking for three turns!"

'_And it may provide me with the time I need to draw the card that can win this duel._' Mitsuro thought to herself.

Sora drew and sneered. "My turn. I activate a card from my hand: Firaga! This card will end the duel!"

"Not if I can help it!" his opponent spat. Her green eyes flashed with anger as she pointed at him. "I activate Naval Assault!" Almost immediately, the guns in front of her fired off a series of rounds that exploded against Sora's spell, causing it to blow to pieces.

"Damnit!" Sora swore. "You got lucky!"

He ended his turn and Mitsuro drew, frowning, but placing the card in her hand. "Now, my move!" she said.

"I activate the card Resupply! This card allows us both to draw from our decks until we have five cards in our hand!" She drew her cards swiftly and smiled. "Next I activate a second spell! This one will allow me to summon back my strongest card, which you banished to the graveyard! I activate Monster Reborn!" A blue crystal appeared on the field and shot a beam down into the graveyard and pulled up pieces of a broken vessel. The pieces passed inside the crystal which grew larger and larger until it was as big as a super-destroyer. "Now, c'mon back, USS LIBERATION (10/3400/3500)!" Mitsuro shouted.

The light suddenly enveloped the field as the crystal shattered. The beam struck the holographic water and shattered, revealing the sleek red, white, and blue destroyer behind her, its guns primed and ready with the US flag flapping in the leftover breeze. She now had a look of determination on her face as she held up her hand. "Now, it's time to get serious!" she said. "I end my turn!"

"Fine! If that's how you wish to play it, then so be it!" Sora cried. He drew a few cards from his deck, and smiled. "I guess this is the end for you," he purred. He slapped a card down on his Duel Disk. "I activate Disney Castle!"

In the background behind Sora, a massive white and blue castle emerged from the holographic water, seeming to float in place. To her immense surprise, Hologram Sora's Keyblade began to glow a bright white, shining in the dim lighting like a beacon just as a surge of energy erupted from around Sora himself.

"What's happening?" Mitsuro cried. She held an arm against the wind, using her Duel Disk as a makeshift shield. "This isn't a normal duel!"

"Well? Do you like my newfound power?" Sora asked, a grin spreading across his features.

"Sorry, but I don't!" Mitsuro spat. "In fact, I hate it!"

"Well, that's too bad," he whispered. "Because this power is your downfall!"

"Not for long!" the lieutenant commander hissed.

"I don't think so!" Sora purred. "Because Disney Castle, when equipped to Sora – The Keyblade Master, he gets four hundred attack and defense points for each spell in my hand!" He held up his hand and Mitsuro stared at _five_ spell cards!

"Two thousand attack and defense points?" Mitsuro blurted.

He nodded. "Yes. But thanks to your spell, you have only one more turn in which to get the card you need in order to win," he said with a grin.

"Oh, you asked for it!" Mitsuro spat. Sora ended his turn just as she glanced at her hand and frowned.

"Not good," she muttered. "If only I had the cards that I needed!" She placed a hand on her deck and closed her eyes, trying to understand the Heart of the Cards.

She knew that it came down to how much she believed in her deck, but that belief had been shaken badly by the image Sora had sent her. In truth, she still doubted herself deep down, and that could lead to her defeat unless she started believing again. But the remnants of what he said still rang in her mind.

She struggled to separate truth from fiction. Yet, Sora's words sounded truthful…

Didn't they?

At that moment, a memory surfaced and her eyes snapped open.

The memory of her brother as he handed her the first deck she ever received. She heard his voice in her mind as clear as day and his words echoed within her mind. "_Remember, Mitsuro. It all comes down to how much you trust in your deck. The Heart of the Cards is more than just a myth. If you have faith in yourself and your ability as a duelist, then your deck won't let you down._"

"My ability as a duelist…" She stared at her deck for a moment and smiled. "Yeah. I guess it does matter."

"What are you blabbing about, Mitsuro?" Sora asked.

"I guess I let myself lose sight of what I can do as a duelist," she murmured. "But, thanks to you, I now know what the Heart of the Cards truly is!" She looked up, her green eyes locking onto his own blue eyes. "It's all about how much you trust in your own skill as a duelist and in yourself as a person!"

"What does that have to do with me?" Sora blurted.

"You made me see how much I would've lost had it not been for my friends and family!" Mitsuro snarled. "Everyone who you said doesn't trust me… Well, they do! And that is enough for me to continue to duel! Plus, my brother's another reason why! He's been my inspiration the whole time and he's been my reason for trying to get this far in dueling, as well as this far in the Navy! He was my motivation for my search, and he will always be my inspiration, no matter what!" She placed a hand down on her deck and prepared to draw. "So it's my draw!"

As she did so, she hoped with all of her heart that the Heart of the Cards wouldn't let her down.

She drew her card swiftly, and, with a nervous look in her eyes, she turned it over…

And laughed in relief.

"Yes!" she said. She looked at Sora and grinned. "My move! I play Pot of Greed!" The green goofy-faced pot appeared on her field and spat up two cards just as she drew them from the top of her deck. The next turn, she knew, would determine the course of the duel. "Next I activate Hyper Cannon Blast!" As she activated the spell, the guns on her ship began to glow bright golden and became sleeker and more powerful.

"I end my turn!" she said.

Sora grinned as he drew. "I end my own turn."

As he did so, Mitsuro placed a hand on top of her deck, suddenly feeling a surge of energy come from it. She knew this power. She had used it once before during the tournament a while back! She gritted her teeth and drew, the card glowing a soft silvery white with blue and golden tints mixed in. She closed her eyes and held it in front.

'_Please…give me the power to win this duel!_' she pleaded.

Her eyes snapped open as they changed color to silvery white with a golden edge and sky blue irises. Sora's own blue eyes widened in shock as a visible shockwave of energy erupted off of her. "What is this?" he cried.

"This… This is the power that will allow me to win this duel!" Mitsuro cried. "I activate the Equip Spell Divine Liberation Strike!" As she slid it into the Spell and Trap card slot, the bullet in her gun resonated with the card, glowing brightly with silver, gold, blue, and white light. "This card boosts my ship's attack and defense by 500, giving it 5000 attack and defense points!" The light from the Spell card suddenly streaked skyward and began to take on a humanoid form. It began to fade, revealing a male angel dressed in modern clothing hovering behind her ship. His wings were spread and his short hair was teased in an unseen wind. His handsome face was set in a serious expression and his ever-changing eyes were locked onto Sora. He held up a hand and his power began to flow down into the Liberation, changing its red, white, and blue color scheme to silver, blue, gold, and white. The ship shuddered with the unreleased energy as the angel faded.

"What…?" Sora stared in shock as the powerful vessel shimmered in the light from the sun on the horizon.

"And it's not over yet! I summon out to the field Helicopter Support Squad (4/+1800/+1700)! But then to back it up I activate Liberation's Light!" A bright light suddenly shone from above the Liberation and it began to glow even brighter. "Thanks to this card, any other Attribute on the field is changed to Light for the rest of this turn!" Mitsuro said.

As she finished, the guns on both fields shattered instantly into shards of metal. "Well, now what?" Sora asked. "With Disney Castle on the field, my deck's key player has 4700 attack points. You'll need a special ability to…get…past…him!" Sora's voice became higher as he realized what this meant. With her ship out on the field, she could launch a direct attack on him!

"But that's not all! I activate a second Monster Reborn and summon out to the field my second Helicopter Support Squad (4/+1800/+1700)!" Mitsuro cried. The helicopters appeared in a flash of blue light and hovered over the field. "Now, time to finish this!" she yelled. "I tribute my first squad of helicopters to have Liberation attack you directly!"

Half of the assembled helis glowed and transformed into artillery shells, inserting themselves into the guns of the ship as they powered up. "Now, USS Liberation! Attack with DIVINE LASER STRIKE!" Mitsuro screamed, waving a hand as she did so.

The guns on her ship powered up and fired, sending the shells right for Sora. The explosions rocked the old factory complex and forced Sora to stagger back under the sheer force of the shockwave. He had no idea what was happening, but he guessed that Mitsuro was the other person who possessed great power.

Mitsuro: 200 Sora: 6700 – 5500 = 800

"But it's not over!" Mitsuro cried. "I give up my second squad to attack you directly again!"

As the guns charged up and the helicopters changed into artillery shells, she heard her friends cheering her on, and her brother was standing by her. He smiled as she waved her hand a second time. "FIRE WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!" she yelled. The second barrage was more powerful than the first, inflicting a serious blow to Sora's pride, and his life points.

Mitsuro: 200 Sora: 800 – 5500 = 0

Sora stared in shock at his life point counter. Even after all that, he had lost…again!

Clearly there was something that had to be done…

* * *

_A few days later…_

Mitsuro stood on the deck of her ship as it left port. She could hardly believe what had happened after the duel with Sora. Her crew had come looking for her and found her passed out in front of the old factory not too far from where they had been dueling. Antov scooped her up in his arms and brought her back to the base for a few days of rest.

When she woke up, she found her new orders waiting in the bridge. She blinked as she read them, surprised. "Is this even necessary?" she asked.

Antov stepped into the bridge at this point, hearing her. "What's necessary?" he asked.

"Check this out," she said, handing him the orders.

"We're being ordered to investigate further unusual happenings in the Pacific. So?" Antov handed them back to her.

"That's just it. We've done a ton of investigating, and we came back to the same conclusion various times: the source of all of this is the mysterious Shadow Lord and his minions," Mitsuro said.

"I know. But I think we're supposed to check out more recent ship disappearances," the Russian said.

"And if we do, then what? I signed up for Duel Academy again, so I can't actually stay out at sea for the duration of the investigation. Plus, Tai's signed up for his first year there," she remarked.

"So that leaves you in a predicament, right?" Antov asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. It sure does. And I want to help, but…"

"But you really can't at this point," the big Russian said.

Mitsuro looked down and nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, if Duel Academy is the source of some of this, then maybe it might not be a bad idea to split the investigation into two parts," Antov said. "Me and the rest of the crew will check it out at sea while you and Tai check it out from the Duel Academy side."

"I see!" Mitsuro said. "This way we can cover both angles!"

He nodded, a smile forming on his lips. "That's the way we'll do it," he said.

"Did you come up with that, or did you have a bit of help?" she asked teasingly.

"I had a bit of help," the Russian remarked with a laugh as he patted the central control console.

Beneath their feet they felt a soft vibration from the ship's engines, a reminder of the new presence in their ship's AI system. Mitsuro gently tapped the floor with her foot. "Could you stop that?" she joked.

The vibration came again, a bit harsher than before. But both officers laughed. They knew it was all in the name of fun.

"So, what else do we have planned?" Mitsuro asked.

"We're going to pick someone up, too," he said.

"Who?" Mitsuro asked.

"Does the name Matt Luther ring a bell?"

Her eyes widened as she heard the name. "What? Matt? But why?" she asked, confused.

"Apparently he's coming back," Antov said. "Before he didn't have plans to return, but his sister convinced him to return."

"So, where is he?" Mitsuro asked.

"He's arriving in Hawaii, which is right on the way to where we need to go," the Russian said. He approached one of the consoles and sat down in a chair as Mitsuro did the same.

"I see," she said. "Well, it's a good thing then, too."

He nodded. "And your father's joining us as well."

"What? Why my dad?" Mitsuro blurted.

"So he can command your ship when you're at school. He feels that it's better this way," he said.

"Oh."

"Oh, yeah! I almost forgot!" Antov reached into a pocket in his uniform and pulled out a card. "Here's a little something from everyone on the _Rising Dawn_."

He handed it to her and she stared in shock at it.

"Antov…How did you guys manage to get this?" she cried.

"We all contributed our salary to it," the man explained. "You know Pegasus, right?"

The lieutenant commander nodded. "Yeah. Everyone does."

"Well, we asked him if he could make a special card for you." Antov grinned. "Actually, we kind of begged him to do it. But that aside, we paid close to four hundred thousand dollars total for it. When he asked why, we explained to him that it was a bit of a surprise."

"Did he agree to do it?" Mitsuro asked.

Antov nodded as he leaned back in the chair. "Yeah. He did. As soon as it was done, he gave it to me to give to you."

Mitsuro looked down at it, stunned that her crew would even do such a thing.

She smiled softly. "Thanks," she whispered, placing it in her deck.

"That card is from all of us, so consider it a good luck charm," Antov said as he sat up straight. "Plus, if need be, you can use it like a normal card. It could help turn the tide of the duel if necessary."

She nodded, "Thanks, Antov. And tell the rest of the crew that I said thanks."

He smiled and nodded. "I will."

* * *

The ship stopped in Hawaii long enough to pick up Matt and within the hour they were back out at sea, heading back for Duel Academy. As the ship sped through the water with ease, Mitsuro stood on the bow, looking down at the card her crew had contributed to. She smiled and ran a hand down the image on it as tears pricked at her eyes.

"Thanks, you guys. You're the best crew I've ever had," she whispered.

Now she felt much more confident and secure in herself. She had a much better understanding of her own skills as a duelist, and more. She possessed the power to help save the world, and she would use it to do just that.

This time, she was ready.

* * *

_Well, here's the end of my ficcie. Hope you enjoyed reading it!_

_Titanic X, over and out!_


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